X-Men 2 My Version
by Agreene
Summary: The Team must save their beloved professor and Cyclops along with several kids mutant children from Styker's clutches while dealing with personal issues. Can they overcome what's about to happen?
1. Presidential Attack

_**X**__**·**__**M**__**E**__**N**__**2**_

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Chapter One: Presidential Attack

THE SEAL OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

A young female stands in front of the seal of the united states. She is giving a tour and begins to speak.

"We are-not enemies but friends. must'not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break the bonds of our affection." Tour girl says. "Lincoln said that in his first inaugural speech as the 16th President. It's one of my favorites." She continued as the group got to the check point. The group approaches the security check point. "If you'll please have identification ready, we'll begin the tour…" She said.

One man is standing in the back. He wears a baseball cap pulled down over his dark, shadowed face. As others through the checkpoint, he steps to the side and turns a corner. He stares at a janitor's closet, just past security.

BAMF! A flash of light and smoke appears under the closet's door knob. The door cracks open and the man steps out.

As he veers away from the tour group. A hand is placed on his shoulder. The man turns to see an agent staring him down.

"I'm sorry, sir. Are you lost?" Checkpoint Agent asked.

The man nods and looks up, finally revealing his face—He has the face of a demon; skin so blue it appears black. His eyes are yellow, dilated and the glazed over. This is Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler.

The agent quickly reaches for his pistol…but from behind the agent's head, a forked tail reaches up and wraps around his neck-throwing him against the wall then slamming him to the ground.

Another agent rushes towards Nightcrawler. His tail wraps around the gun and throws him to ground as he flips over the agent and darts down the corridor.

The oval office agent, Agent Walters draws his gun and presses his hand to his earpiece, listening to the commotion.

"…I repeat, how many are there?" Agent Walters asks.

President McKenna a distinguished looking man in his early sixties sits at the desk. He drops the phone and stands up.

"What in god's name is going on?" President McKenna asked.

The commotion still goes on in the hallway. Alarms blare as Agent Vanscoy turns to see Nightcrawler at the end of the hall, teeth bared like an animal, running straight towards him.

Vanscoy aims and fires his weapon. Nightcrawler takes to the walls still running at full speed. Before the agent can fire again, Nightcrawler flies at him feet first and smashing Vanscoy through a set of doors.

Nightcrawler flicks the gun away with his tail. He moves down the hallway and turns a corner to see: Six Agents guns drawn.

"Hands on the floor! No tricks!" Lead Agent said.

Nightcrawler spins around and sees six more agents enter the hallway. He's trapped. The twelve guns are jammed into his face. Nightcrawler smiles revealing spiked white teeth. BAMF! Nightcrawler is gone leaving behind a cloud of smoke.

In the oval office, the agents listen closely—there is static on their radios. The sounds of shots right outside of the door can be heard. Men screaming. The president is too scared to move.

"Get him out of here!" Agent Walters said.

"No. We don't know how many there are." Agent Cartwright told him.

The west door bursts open, filling the room with stumbling, coughing agents and thick smoke.

The secret service agents surround the president in a roman circle their guns pointed in every direction.

BAMF! Nighcrawler appears in front of an agent, kicks him across the face. BAMF! He appears next to another and hurls him across the room with his tail. BAMF! BMAF! BAMF! BAMF! Nightcrawler takes out the entire circle of agents in the blink of an eye.

Nightcrawler lands on the ground staring at McKenna.. He leaps and pins the president on top of his desk. President McKenna looks up to see Nightcrawler looming over him. His eyes glazed over, his face emotionless.

With a flick of his tail, the mutant pulls a knife from his boot and flips it into his clawed hand—Ted to its hilt is a long red ribbon. Another agent runs in trying to aim through the smoke. Nightcrawler raises the knife-bang! A shot is fired and rips thorough Nightcrawler's wrist. Screaming, his eyes suddenly dilate huge, then snap back to normal. He shakes his head as if waking from a nightmare…..suddenly realizing where he is. BAMF! Nightcrawler disappears.

The secret service agent lowers his gun and moves towards the shaken up President's side.

"What…the hell….was that?" President McKenna asked. Never had another person gotten this close to the president. Hell no one has ever gotten past the secret service. They weren't dealing with an ordinary person. This was a mutant. The president stares at the knife sticking straight up from the center of the desk, a ribbon hanging from the handle. There are three words are written in gold: MUTANT FREEDOM NOW!


	2. Alkali Lake Let Down

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Chapter Two: Alkali Lake Let Down

Alberta Canada, the wilderness. This is where Logan has ended up. Though he'd set out to find the military base a month ago, he'd gotten a little sidetracked by what he'd thought were memories and clues. All of them turned up a whole lot of nothing, but he hadn't lost heart. Unfortunately, the pursuit of ghosts had resulted in him wasting those weeks away when he could have gone straight to Alkali Lake as Xavier had suggested. He wondered at the significance of the dream he'd just had, but shrugged it off, knowing that his mind had to be playing tricks on him again.

In the month, he could honestly say that he'd gotten in fifteen or twenty good hours of sleep, not counting the sleep he'd gotten when he'd been knocked out. Although his healing factor kicked in to prevent physical fatigue, his mind was so far past exhaustion that he seriously wondered how he was able to function.

Grumbling colorful curses, Logan started the engine and got on the highway, continuing his ride. After spending so much time in this general area searching for false clues to his past, Logan practically had the roads memorized. He'd stopped looking at the map by the end of his first week back in Canada, and hadn't touched it since. He'd gotten lost more than once, but rather enjoyed the feeling.

He didn't know exactly where he'd find this base, but he suspected that his instincts were, for once, pulling him in the right direction. He'd passed at least two trees by now that had worn claw marks that matched his own claws perfectly, so it was only a matter of time before something came to him.

It was cold, and the wind from the motorcycle ride only made it colder, but it wasn't too much for him to handle. He'd been in Canada for fifteen years – that he knew of – and was more than used to the biting cold. And his healing power kicked in before he froze too much anyway.

He drove by another patch of trees with his claw marks on them, but this time about ten of them were marked. He pulled the motorcycle to the side of the road by the trees and cut the engine, staring at the marks curiously. Inside, it felt like he was going in the right direction, so he got off the bike, grabbed his backpack and started trudging through the snow. The forest wasn't too terribly dense, and it only took five minutes of walking for him to finally break free of the trees.

Then he got a view of the lake. He was on the beach and had a very clear view, but he didn't see anything resembling a military base, abandoned or otherwise. Mountains on one side, forest on the other side, and an ice cold lake water in the middle. He shrugged,

Turning right and continuing his hike. If he kept going and saw nothing for twenty minutes, he'd just turn around and try the other way. And if not… Well, he had a map for a reason, and though he occasionally enjoyed getting lost, he wasn't too proud to use it.

But after another five minutes of walking, he began to spot barbed wire fencing. And then he saw the dam. He took out a cigar and lit it, puffing lightly and savoring his victory. Xavier had said that the base was in the dam, and he'd found the dam. Now he just had to find a way inside. He continued on his hike and arrived at the entrance of the base in less than half an hour.

A white wolf stood in front of the large, rotting wooden doors of the entrance like a guard and Logan stilled the moment he saw it. He didn't feel like killing the animal, but if he had a sudden threatening move, it would attack and he'd have no choice. However, if it got his scent then it would probably run away on it's own. Logan knew that he had the scent and look of a predator, and sure enough, it caught his scent and its ears fell back apprehensively as it trotted into the entrance.

The place looked completely abandoned, even from the outside. Logan slowly walked forward and looked at the plank on the side of the entrance. 'Alkali Lake Industrial Complex.' This _had_ to be it. While all the other 'memories' he'd chased had felt like mild déjà vu, he truly felt like he _knew_ this place, like he'd been here.

But walking through the rotted doors he was met with the ultimate disappointment; a clearing of snow and rubble.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

_Another_ dead end.

_Dammit, Xavier…_

Logan closed his eyes in defeat and growled in annoyance. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He'd have to go back to Xavier and get the old man to read his mind again, because there was nothing for him to find here. He knew he'd been here – the marks on the trees proved it – but there was nothing for him to search for here.

Besides, he was willing to admit that he wouldn't mind seeing Marie again. Or Jean. And Ororo would be waiting on him.

He took one last look around him before tossing his cigar and turning around, jogging back to the motorcycle to blow off some steam. Maybe, if he was still a little heated, he'd stop by the Lion's Den Bar. It was only four hours away. _A cold beer and a good fight sounds pretty damn good right about now,_ he thought with a smirk.

But after that, he was off to Westchester. He'd only been gone for a month but it was time to go home. _He missed Ororo._

The ride had been shorter than he'd anticipated. Logan found himself sitting in a bar enjoying a beer and a cigar and hour earlier than he'd expected. He'd found a bar that was closer than Lion's Den, and after weighing the pros and cons of actually participating in the cage fight, he figured that it'd be better to go to a different bar altogether. The bartender there was sure to remember him and the chaos he'd caused.

_I'm an unforgettable guy, _he thought with a smirk, taking a long drag of his cigar.

He slapped his fee and tip on the bar counter and was about to leave when he heard something that made him sit back down. "Breaking news! We're coming to you live from Washington, where there's been an attack in the Oval Office of the White House."

"Hey, turn it up," one of the patrons shouted. The bar had quieted considerably, and all eyes and ears were on the small screen behind the bar as the bartender cranked up the volume as high as it went.

"Details are still coming in, but we've been informed that the President and the Vice-President were not harmed. We are waiting for confirmation from the White House, but informed sources have told Fox News that the assailant has been tentatively identified as one or more mutants."

"Never should've let them mutants slide after that shit in the U.S.," a drunk shouted.

"Hear hear!" another man agreed, raising his beer bottle.

Logan discreetly walked out of the bar, got back onto the bike and headed back for the Xavier Institute. He couldn't wait to see his Ororo. He missed her. These last four weeks without her has been hell for him. He hadn't been able to hold her, to touch her…to make love to her. Logan let his mind linger on that last one. Though that was the first time they'd made love, Logan missed that. The way she smelt…when aroused, the way she scratched up his back during their love making…Her soft moans purring in his ear….These thoughts were causing Logan to have a major hard on. He needed to focus on the road. He thought about the others at the house and what coming back would mean to them.

For Rogue it met that she could finally her friend back. Logan suspected that she looked up to him like a father figure. Logan had never considered himself father figure material but it didn't bother him that Rogue thought that way about him. Besides he liked her and thought she's a good kid.

Bobby was a different story. He knew Bobby liked Rogue a lot but he wasn't a bad kid at all. It was just the opposite. It was Bobby who had welcomed Rogue to the school and had become her friend. The two have grown closer.

John had become quite fond of Logan as well. Seeing how Logan made Ororo smile made John feel better about Logan. Ever since her break up, she had been feeling pretty low and he'd often spend time with her to keep her company. John loves Ororo with everything in him. He loved her more than his own biological mother who had abandoned him. Logan could see this. He liked John to. John reminded him of him self. A little rough outside of their shells but when it comes to Ororo both are puppy dogs deep down.

Logan couldn't wait to see Alex, Emma and Jean. He liked Alex because he seemed so down to earth despite everything going on around him. He didn't let things bother him. Emma was funny. She has such a great personality and could make him laugh. Jean was sweetheart. The doctor of the mansion, she took care of everyone's medical needs. Plus she's one of the most caring people he's ever met. Outside of Ororo that is.

Rion was another guy he missed. Mystro, Logan got the chance to witness just why his X-Men name is Mystro. Rion also is an excellent martial artist. He hasn't seen his fights up close but he's gotten the chance to face off against him and was impressed. The kid is amazing. Rion is also one of the most sensitive people Logan has ever met. Despite his rocky relationship with Ororo, the kid still finds a reason to smile. Why he didn't have lots of girls chasing him Logan didn't understand.

Scott was a different story. Though he'd liked Scott and the two found common ground, Scott would probably kick his ass for taking his bike. He knew that Logan wouldn't damage his bike. Still the confrontation is going to be quite interesting to say the least.

Professor Xavier, he was the one person Logan was upset with. How could the Professor lead him to a dead end? Logan must've thought that the professor had only know the location of the military base but not was in it. The professor must've figured that he'd figure this out on his own. Logan didn't know. One thing was for sure. He needed to get back to the mansion to have a talk with him.


	3. Training Camp

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Chapter Three: Training Camp

Rion "Mystro" Monroe had entered the gym early six o'clock this morning ready to train. His training crew wasn't due to be there til 8am. This gave Rion plenty of time to do his regular cardio. He changed into his training gear and began to stretch his six foot frame. He stretched his legs, arms, back and neck. Once done, he began to jog around the gym on the mat. Rion was lost in his thoughts again. He hadn't quite been the same since the events at Ellis Island. Even more so the wedding. Rion had still been hurt behind not being asked to participate in the Wedding party. He kept his distance from the others, especially Jean and Scott. He also made sure to keep his thoughts to himself so Emma wouldn't read his mind. He could see how frustrated it was making them not to know what he was thinking or feeling for that matter. Jean tried talking to him but figured he needed his distance. Anytime he was around them, he gave everyone short answers. He especially kept his distance from Ororo. He knew how she felt about him and didn't want another confrontation. The only person to get close to him was Alex. Alex didn't ask him if was ok because he already knew. John felt Rion's distance as well. He didn't talk to him. Rion caught John's thoughts about the fact that he couldn't wait for Logan to get back. That Logan would teach him to use his abilities during a sparring match. Rion had a couple of times asked John if he'd like to train with him one on one but John refused. Rion felt bad about that realizing the only time he'd get to train John was during classes. Rion sighed deeply needing to drown out the negative thoughts.

He decided to put his ipod music on to drown out the bad thoughts. As he jogged around the gym, he threw short imaginary punches in the air to the rhythm of the music catching him. He must've jogged for forty minutes. Then he began doing sit ups to rock music. He did pushups as well as crunches and legs up then did some pull ups. Rion is in tremendous shape but you have to be if he is to compete as a fighter. After doing his cardio, Rion sat down to rest. He glanced at his watch and realizedher had 15 seconds til his crew arrived. He sat there staring at the door. Moments later Ray along with his training crew walked into the gym.

"Dude, what are you doing here so damn early?" Ray asked as he and the guys placed their bags down and began changing into their gear.

"Cardio workout." Rion told him.

"You're sweating bullets man." Nick his sparring partner told him.

"Good cardio does that for me." Rion told him standing up.

"You ready for another training session?" Ray asked him taking out all the equipment.

"I'm always ready." He said only needing a short rest before his enhanced endurance kicked in.

"Alright. Let's do it." Ray said as Rion nods.

First up was kickboxing. Ray held up the punch pads while Rion went to work hitting them. Rion throws in several strategic kicks. A roundhouse kick here, a spinning heel kick there, a knee kick, Rion utilized his martial arts skills to a fault. Next up was sparring. Rion and Nick his sparring partner worked on his jujitsu. Nick took Rion down to the mat. Rion immediately pulls him into a submission. Rion is an excellent submissionist. He maneuvered his body to pull Nick into an arm bar. Rion then puts Nick in eighteen more submission moves.

Rion is a great fighter but what he lacked in his fighting style was his wrestling. That's where Nick came in. Nick taught Rion how to wrestle and Rion has been able to utilize this in his fights.

Nick tested him by putting wrestling moves on him. He responds by countering with moves of his own. This impressed Nick who got a little winded.

Rion took a moment to catch his breathe before using the speed bag. Rion hits the bag with persission. Next was the punching bag. Rion continues to utilize the bag for his training purposes. Using a combination of kicks and punches, Rion lit the bag up like a man possessed. It was as if he was letting out frustration. Ray watched a moment wondering where all that fire was coming from. Rion's training sessions are sometimes intense and fun. He's usually cracking a joke or two and made training him seem like child's play. The last three weeks had been a different story.

The first day of training in preparation of his upcoming fight, Rion seemed like he was a different person. He hadn't joked around, he hadn't smiled. All he did was train. He even came into training early as he did today. Ray knew it was only one reason he did this and that was to getaway from Ororo. He didn't want to argue with her so he'd leave the mansion earlier than normal. Maybe that was the case but Rion's was off by a lot. His sister getting on him never bothered him this much. It had to be something else. Ray would ask later. For now it was back to training.

Ray held the pads again as Rion hits them hard leaving no part of the pad untouched. He moved the pads around in a fighter's motion as Rion followed hitting it and kicking it. He even threw in a few knee kicks here and there. Once the training was over, Ray sat down with Rion on the mat. He wanted to know what's got into him.

"Rye, what's up?" Ray asked. Rion looked up at him and frowned.

"What?" He asked pretending to be clueless. He knew what he was asking having read his mind.

"What's going on with you? You never train this hard." Ray said looking at him. Rion stared back at him. "I mean you train hard but not like this. What's going on?" He asked.

"Nothing." Rion answers.

"Is it your sister again?" Ray asked. Rion rolled his eyes. "Ok what she do now?"

"Nothing I care to talk about." Rion said to him. Ray read his emotions and could tell he was hurt. He was right but Rion won't talk about it.

"Alright look why don't we call it a morning and grab a bite? I'm starving like Marvin." Ray said earning a chuckle from Rion.

"Ok. But first we need a shower." Rion said. Ray nods. Both got up from the mat heading in the locker room with their bags.

"Yeah you stink bro." Ray said as Rion smiled.

"Look who's talking."Rion said playfully shoving him.

After the shower, Rion felt refreshed. He grabbed his jacket, duffle bag and headed towards the door.

"Ray, I'll meet you out back." Rion said. Ray nods while on the phone. Rion walked towards the alley where his car is parked. He spots five thugs scoping out his car. The thugs looked like bikers looking for trouble. The first thug was tall with dirty blond hair and a skull bandana covering his head. He has a long blond colored beard with an average build. His breath reeked of alcohol. The second thug stand next to him was taller with brown hair. His beard matched his hair. The third thug was much fatter. He had a bald head under his bandana and was sporting a red gotee. The fourth thug looked to be a bit younger. Maybe of he was the fresh blood of the group. He has a dark black beard. His hair color matched his beard as well. The last one was just as young as the fourth thug. His auburn hair color matched his beard. All are sporting the same skull bandanas. Rion figured they belonged to some sort of gang. He sighed. The last thing he wanted a fight. One of the thugs looks up recognizing him.

"Well, well. Look fellas. It's the Mystro himself." Thug One said. The others laughed. Rion smirked. "He's a fighter in the UFC." The thug said as he and his goons surround Rion. They really don't know what Rion is capable of doing to them. He stares at them.

"Guys look I don't want any trouble. I just wanna get in my car and leave. That's it." Rion told them. He really didn't want to hurt anyone. The thugs get closer and Rion doesn't like this one bit.

"You found trouble boy." Thug Two said nastily. Rion takes a deep breathe.

"We wanna see just how tough you really are boy." Thug One said. The five pulled out various weapons. They were looking to rob Rion and take his car or just to hurt him in general. Big mistake. Thug one pulled out a knife. Thug two pulled out a chain. Thug three had small sized baton in his hands. Thug four had brass knuckles while Thug five simply had a stick. Rion dropped his bag readying himself.

"You guys don't wanna do this." Rion tried to warn them.

"Yeah we do." Thug One said. "Get him!" He instructs as Thug five swings the stick at Rion who immediately ducks and slams his fist into the guy's stomach. He snatches the stick from him then hits him in the face with it. Thug Five tried to swing at Rion but he ducks and uses a spinning hook kick to knock the young thug off his feet. Thug Four then goes in trying to fight Rion using the brass knuckles. Rion easily evades his blows and threw several of his own connecting with thug four's jaw. "GET UP!" Thug One yells. He's not happy his guys are getting their asses kicked. Thugs four and five get back to their feet. Both are angry and both attack Rion at the same time. Rion breaks the stick in half and tosses them away. He frowns hard at the thugs. Rion grabs thug four's arm punching him the face while kicking thug five in his face. He spins and kicks Thug four in the face as both are down for the count. Thugs Two and three attack Rion at the same time. Thug Two grabs Rion from behind using the chain trying to restrain him. Thug three smirks thinking they have Rion right where they want him. Rion squirms a bit but he's baiting thug three into come at him. Thug three takes the bait then swings the baton at Rion's head. Rion ducks in time. The baton hits Thug two in the face and he promptly let's Rion go. Thug Three still has a hold of the chain. Rion grabs the baton from thug two and hits him several times to his body with the baton. Thug two groans in pain as he hits the ground. Thug three seems to have recovered from being hit in the face and goes at Rion trying to fight him. Rion goes on the attack using a serious of punches and kicks knocking thug three down. He takes the chain and tosses it. He turns his attention to thug one. "Alright boy, I guess I'm gonna kick your ass myself."

"Bring it." Rion said as he readies himself in a martial arts position. Thug One tries stabbing Rion with the knife. Rion moves to keep from being stabbed although if he is stabbed, he can simply heal himself. Thug one goes at him again with the knife. This time Rion catches his hand and twists his arm. Thug one groans in pain. Rion twists his arm further back. Thug one drops the knife as a result of the pain he is in. Rion wraps his arm around thug one's neck pulling him into a choke hold. The hold is met to subdue the thug. He soon loses air and passes out. Rion sees the carnage he's done as the thugs laid passed out. They will no doubt be pissed off that they got their asses handed to them by a UFC fighter. He had to erase their memories. He sticks his hand out in front of him and concentrates hard. His mind links to all five thugs affectively erasing this incident from their minds. Rion blinks coming out of his trans. He had no idea he was being watched.

Ray had heard the commotion leaving from the gym. He watched Rion take the thugs out. What he saw next caused him to be concerned for Rion. He watched as Rion stared at them as if he was concentrating on the five of them. His hand was out in front of him. Ray had no idea what Rion was doing but then he sees him blink a few times. Rion's breathing was heavy but slowing to normal. Rion turns to him staring at him reading his mind. How much of this had he seen? Rion cocked his head to the left side. His eyes went wide as he realized Ray had seen everything. He didn't want to but he had to do it. He stared at Ray who found himself in a trans unable to move. Rion concentrated on removing the last ten last minutes from Ray's head. The memory erased in Ray's mind like re-winding a tape in a VCR. From Rion wiping out the thugs memory to the fight he witnessed with the thugs was erased. The only remaining memory was of Ray walking out of the gym. Rion adjusted his head up right taking Ray from his trans. Ray shook his head standing in the alley confused.

"What happened?" Ray asked. Rion didn't answer right away. He sees the thugs behind Rion. "What happened to them?"

"Not sure. I found them lying in front of my car." Rion said lying smoothly. Ray looked as if he didn't know if he believed him. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah let's go." Ray said. Rion picked up his bag and both got into his car then drove off. Leaving the thugs with lost memories.


	4. Field Trip Incident

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Chapter Four: Field Trip Incident

A diorama of a winier landscape of a mother wolf blood on its teeth, angrily protects it's young from a Neanderthal hunter, blood on his teeth. Hunched over, he holds up a large club. A child peers at the display. He is a student at the Xavier Institute. Ororo also known as Storm is speaking about another exhibit.

"Contrary to popular belief, Neanderthals are not the ancestors of modern day humans, but rather distant cousins who died out 30,000 years ago…" Ororo said as the students listened while staring at the exhibit. "They were replaced by a more advanced race called Cro-Magnonman also known as _Homo Sapi ens…_" She continued. Another student is looking at an ice age display, twelve year old Artie stares at a woolly mammoth. A kool –aid stained little girl glares at him. "Also known as human beings. In other words…us." Artie looks at her and smiles. She scowls and sticks her tongue out at him. Artie returns the gesture but his tongue is black and forked. The little girl while scared turns and runs to her parents. A shadow looms over Artie and he looks up to see Alex staring down at him. He smiles innocently.

"Not here little man." Alex told him and takes him by the hand. Ororo, Emma, Scott and Jean stared at Alex as he nods. They sigh a bit. Alex rubs the top of Artie's head. He's a good kid. Ororo goes on with her lecture. A group of kids behind her. They are: Professor Xavier's students. They're just like normal kids on a field trip, in their eerily teens, a few are as young as eleven. Other museum patrons try not to stare as they pass.

"Miss Monroe, aren't we mutants?" Artie asked loudly as his mouth is immediately covered by Alex. Everyone turns to him. Jean looks around to see if anyone has heard him. Satisfied that no one had, she nods to Ororo who sighs again. She looks over at Alex to correct him. Alex leans over to whisper to the young lad.

"Yes but mutants are only people with some extra active genes. We're still human." Alex tells him. Artie nods.

"Oh. I'm sorry I said that out loud." He whispered to Alex.

"It's ok buddy." Alex said rubbing his head.

Filled with illustrations and photographs of hideously deformed mutants, a timeline tracks mankind from the ape-like _Homo Hablius to Homo Sapien_-and the line suddenly splits into a second group, labeld: _Homo 2._ The children look horrified at what they see and are hurt as well.

"Come on children. Let's go." Ororo said as she ushers the kids away, trying to hide her own discomfort.

Jean stares off hearing many voices in her head. She looks around to see who's staring at her but all she sees are the glares from the other patrons around the museum. Emma catches it and alerts Scott to her. Alex sees this and is worried. Professor Xavier is also worried. Scott goes over to his wife.

"Jean." Scott calls to her. She's startled a bit. "You ok?" He asks her.

"Yeah I'm fine." Jean said trying to give him a reassuring smile.

"You use to struggle to concentrate now whenever you have nightmares the bedroom shakes, baby what's going on?" Scott asks.

"I've just been having some strange nightmares and I also haven't felt well either." Jean said to him.

"Do you wanna go see a doctor?" He asked her. Jean smirked.

"I am a doctor." She responds.

"I know. I just worry baby. I want you to be ok." He told her.

"I just can't shake these dreams." Jean told him.

"Tell me about the dreams." Scott asked. She smiled appreciating her husband's concern but she was fine.

"Honey, I'm fine. I promise." Jean told him.

"Ok. I would never let anything happen to you." Scott said pulling her into hug. Jean had been feeling ill. What she is experiencing was anxiety because she's pregnant and hasn't been able to tell her husband since their wedding nearly a month ago. They had made love quite a bit in their hotel room so this was bound to happen. Emma smile because she knew why Jean was feeling this way. She was happy for her surrogate sister.

"Everything ok?" Alex asked. They nod. "Where are Bobby, Rogue, John and Kitty?" He asked.

Jean concentrated trying to find their thoughts. She caught them in the food court.

"They're in the food court." Jean told them.

John, Kitty, Bobby and Rogue are sitting at a table in the food court just relaxing. They needed a bit of a mental break from the day's lesson. Despite visiting a museum, they were there solely for educational purposes. This wasn't fun to them but it got them out of the mansion for the day. Kitty and Rogue are no doubt chatting about the girl stuff while Bobby listened absent mindedly. John however was staring at the glowing light from his lighter mesmerized by the light. He flicks his fingers through the light back and forth without being harmed by the fire. John looks over at Bobby who can't seem to take his eyes off the girl conversation. John smirks.

"Dude, do you even know what their saying?" John asks Bobby who ignored him. He hadn't heard a word he said. "Dude!" John said startling Bobby as he chuckles.

"Huh?" Bobby asks as John laughs at him.

"What's wrong with you?" John asked.

"Nothing." Bobby said.

"Is there' convo that good you're into it?" John asked amused.

"No." Bobby said a little embarrassed.

"Hey dude, mind if my brother gets a light?" Teen boy asked having walked up to their table. The two teen boys looked to be about eighteen or nineteen. This drew the girls from their conversation.

"Nah I can't sorry." John said laughing. Bobby and the girls laughed.

"Come on man. I just want a smoke. Let me get a light?" Second teen boy asks.

John flicks the lighter on again then snaps it shut again.

"Nah can't sorry." John said again as they laughed.

"Come Johnny, quite toying with them." Kitty said.

"Yeah listen to the lady." Teen boy one says. They turned their focus on the ladies. This angers both Bobby and John. "You two are so cute."

"Hey back off!" John said frowning. "She's my girl." Kitty rolled her eyes annoyed at his machoness.

"Really?" Second teen boy asked snorting.

"Yes really." John responds angrily. Teen boy turns back to Kitty who smirked. She wasn't interested in those boys anyway.

"Sorry boys I'm afraid my friend and I are taken." Kitty said to him. Teen boy one stares down at Rogue's chest smirking. This angers Bobby who glares at him. His fists are clenched under the table and are turning blue. He's trying to control himself but these punks are getting the better of him.

With John distracted, teen boy two snatches the lighter away from John's hands.

"Hey give that back." John said. Teen boy one holds him back. "There's no smoking in here."

"What are you gonna do about it punk?" Teen boy one asks. Teen boy two blows smoke in his face. John smirks.

"John." Kitty calls to him. He looks over at her smirking. She knows what he's about to do. Teen boy two takes a drag of his cigarette. John sees the smoke and his eyes narrow and….Vwoosh! The flame of the cigarette travels as fast as lightening, incinerating the cigarette and setting teen boy two's jacket on fire. He screams, furiously trying to pat it out. His brother panics.

Bobby reaches up his hand and sends a stream of frost towards him. Immediately, the fire freezes and drops off. The two teens stare at the young teen terrified. So does everyone else in the food court. Rogue, Bobby, John and Kitty are on their feet. Suddenly everyone around them is standing still…Un-moving. All four are confused.

"Bobby, did you do this?" Rogue asked.

"No." Bobby responds.

"John, Kitty." Rogue asked.

"This was definitely not one of my abilities." Kitty said.

"Me neither." John said as he touches a man nearby who's seems froze solid.

"I did this." Professor Xavier said to them as he and the others move towards the four teens. "The next time you want to show off. Don't." He said firmly. Ororo glares at John who looks down in shame. Alex glares at Bobby firmly. Jean looks at Rogue disappointed in her. Emma looked over at Kitty disappointed. The group turns towards the TV near the gift shop. On TV: an image of the white house, surrounded by army troops. The words: "Mutant Assassination Attempt" appear on the screen.

"Professor I think it's time to go." Scott said.

"I believe you're right." Professor Xavier said. He and the others all left the museum. Once they were all loaded onto the buses, professor released the patrons in the museum. The two teens looked around and realized the four teens they were talking to are no longer there.

On the second bus, Kitty and John are sitting in one seat while Rogue and Bobby sat in the seat ahead of them.

"Why do you always have to be such a prick?" Kitty asked.

"You know you like it." John said smirking.

"Ms. Monroe is going to kick your ass." Kitty asked smirking. John thought about that for a moment.

"Be right back." He said getting up out of his seat. He heads to the front of the bus where Ororo is seated. He leans down and kisses her cheek. "I'm sorry ma."

"Nice try. Come here." Ororo said scooting over to let John sit next to her. "What happened back there?"

"The guy asked for my lighter and when I didn't give it to him he took it from my hands. I was asking him to give it back but he wouldn't. He blew smoke in my face and I lost it for a second." John told her. Ororo listened but frowned. "I swear ma I didn't mean to do that to happen."

"Johnny honey, we can't do that in public. It could put all of us at risk. I know those kids can be stupid at times. You don't engage them you're smarter than them. Understand?" Ororo asked him. She had her arm around his shoulder.

"Yeah." John said knowing he was wrong in letting those two idiots get the better of him. "Does this mean I'm not gonna be punished?" He asked smiling innocently.

"Nice try." Ororo said to him smirking. "You're grounded for a week."

"A week?" John asked.

"You wanna make it two?" Ororo asked.

"No." John said defeated.

"I can only imagine what you're uncle's going to do when he finds out." Ororo said to him.

"Oh crap!" John said. He knew what Rion would do. He'd make him run laps til he puked. This wasn't going to be a fun week. He sighed deeply as the bus made it's way back to the mansion.


	5. X-Meeting

X2

Chapter Five: X-Meeting

Back at the mansion, Scott is staring out the window at the kids playing in the backyard. He, Jean, Ororo, Emma, Alex and the professor are all in the professor's office. They are waiting on Rion. After hearing the news about the mutant attack on the president this morning, they wanted to discuss the issue at hand. Television silently plays a white house press conference. Ororo gets impatient waiting on her brother. She begins pacing back and forth.

"Roh, can you calm down. He'll be here any moment." Emma tells her.

"He's always late." Ororo said. "Can't we just start the meeting without him?" She asked angrily.

"We need all members of the Xmen team in this meeting." Professor Xavier said.

"Logan's not here." Emma said as Alex smirked.

"No but he'll be back any day now." Professor Xavier said. His face went still as if he's concentrating. "Rion's home." He said as Rion's car is pulls into the garage. He got out of his car with his duffle bag and headed up the X corridor to the elevator. _"Rion come to my office at once. We have an important issue to discuss."_ He said telepathically to Rion who made his way to the professor's office. The door opens in steps Rion. He has his duffle bag with him. "Welcome Rion." He said.

"Hey what's going on?" Rion asked.

"We're about to have a meeting that you're late for." Ororo told him.

"I didn't know there was a meeting." Rion said angrily. Ororo frowned shaking her head. "What's the meeting about?" He asked.

"Did you hear about the attack on the president this morning?" Emma asked.

"No I was in the gym all morning. What happened?" Rion asked alarmed.

"Apparently a mutant attacked the president." Alex told him.

"Shit." Rion said frowning.

"In my opinion, I thinks it's Magneto's behind this." Scott said.

"No, I don't think so, Scott." Jean said to her husband.

"While Eric might have organized something like this from prison—for the gesture is far too…irrational. It only hurts his goal for mutant prosperity." Professor Xavier explains.

In the background, the TV screen displays images of protesters on both sides of the mutant issue.

"You know how the government will respond to this. They'll re-introduce the Registration Act." Ororo said.

"Or worse." Professor Xavier said.

"They may take it a step farther and start attacking innocent people who are believed to be mutants." Emma told them.

"Whot to do something like this anyway?" Jean asked.

"Well, It's not Magneto." Rion told them.

"Why not? This is right up his alley." Scott told him.

"True but I get the feeling that someone orchestrated this attack on the president." Rion told them.

"What message does that send?" Ororo asked.

"That mutants are a threat." Rion told them. They stared at him as if he was on to something. "Think about it. What's the one thing mutants want?" He asked.

"To be treated as equals." Jean said.

"Right but this attack on the president doesn't send that message. The message it sends is that all mutants are dangerous and if we can get close to the president enough to scare him, then humans don't stand a chance. Whoever orchestrated this wanted to make this message clear." Rion told them. They all sat thinking about that. Rion had a point. Whoever set this up wants the world to hate mutants as much as they do. As if the humans didn't already.

Professor Xavier stares at the protesters on TV troubled by what he sees.

"Do you think the mutant was working alone?" Jean asked.

"No, he or she had a partner. Or maybe this mutant didn't know they attacked the president." Rion told them.

"You'd know if you attacked the president." Emma said to him.

"Not if your brain washed." Rion said to them. They thought for a moment.

"The only way we'll know is if we find him or her before the authorities do." Professor Xavier said to them. He then turns to Rion reading his thoughts. It was the first time he had projected his thoughts aloud in weeks. Emma and Jean caught it to. The three stared at him worried. Ororo, Scott and Alex wondered why they were staring at Rion. Rion finally looks up and catches all six faces starting at him.

"What?" Rion asked.

"Something happened earlier didn't it?" Professor asked. Rion looked away.

"At the gym." Emma told them.

"It's nothing." Rion told them.

"Bullshit. You were surrounded by some biker gang." Jean said as if seeing the entire scene play out in his head. Ororo looked over at him with the smallest, slimmest of concern.

"What happened?" Professor Xavier asked firmly.

"It was nothing." Rion said as the others stared at him. He sighed. "I came out of the gym heading to my car when these biker guys were standing there. They challenged me."

"You had to show off didn't you?" Ororo asked.

"No not at first. I told them it wasn't a good idea but I was forced to defend myself. When it was over I erased their memories of the fight. Ray saw me and I erased his memory to." Rion explained. Ororo sucked her teeth.

"Rion" Jean scolds him.

"I didn't want to fight but I had no choice." Rion told them.

"There's always a choice Rye." Alex said to him.

"You could've walked away." Emma said.

"No what would've happened is me getting my ass kicked or worse if I hadn't defended myself." Rion said to them. "I did what I had to do. Why the hell do guys care anyway?" He looked at the faces in the room all showing different expressions. Emma's face showed slight frustration. She likes Rion but this incident could've done more harm than good. Alex and Jean's faces showed concern, both for different reasons. For Alex it was about concern for his mentor-sensei. Alex treated Rion more like a brother than his own sister had and was concerned that he was losing himself. Jean had been concerned for Rion since the wedding and feared that he was more hurt than he originally let on. He let it slip that he loved her. He had never confided in Jean about his feels thought she knew how he felt. Ororo's face showed anger and hatred, something Rion was use to. Scott's face showed annoyance. He wasn't sure why he was annoyed at Rion but he also felt sorry for him. Maybe he's still hurt about the wedding. No one knew but everyone speculated. Professor Xavier's face showed obvious concern for him. Rion is a good guy with a huge heart but feared what happened when people crossed him.

"Professor what do we do about the mutant?" Scott asked.

"I'm going to use cerebro to find him. In the meantime, we go about business as usual." Professor Xavier said as everyone nods and gets up to leave his office. "Orion can I have a word." He said as everyone left the office but Orion. "Have a seat."

"Professor, I'm fine." Rion said.

"Have a seat please?" Professor Xavier asked. Rion sighs then sits down in the chair across from the professor. "You've been one of my best students in this institute, smart, funny and have exceptional control of your abilities not to mention your emotions. I know that things aren't going well between you and Ororo and you felt left out of the wedding but you don't have t to go through that alone."

"I'm fine." Rion said to him.

"So you keep saying. I don't believe that any more than you do. I know what you're feeling. You've been distant since the wedding. You barely say two words to anyone. You know how I know this?" Professor asked.

"How?" Rion asked.

"Because you did this as a boy. When you felt isolated, you kept your distance. Back then you use to project your thoughts loudly. Now you have control of them and have learned to shut us telepaths out." Professor Xavier smiled. Rion smiled lightly as well he lowered his head.

"I'm fine really. I don't wanna talk about it." He said not looking at the professor. Professor Xavier wheeled himself over towards Rion and placed his hand on his left shoulder.

"When you are ready to talk, let me know. I just wanna say one thing though." He said as Rion watched him waiting for him to finish. "They care about you. I care about you. Don't give up on us." Professor said as Rion nods. He stands up to leave.

"Thanks Professor." Rion said as he then leaves the professor's office.

Rion walks into the dojo to get changed into his gi. Alex is there in his gi pants. He's placing the top part of his gi on then places the black belt over his waist. He was thinking about the incident in the museum this morning. Rion caught his thoughts and decides to ask him about it.

"What happened at the museum?" Rion asked.

"You're nephew, Bobby, Kitty and Rogue got into a little unfortunate incident with two boys. Much like you're incident." Alex told him. Rion rolled his eyes.

"What did Ororo do about Johnny?" Rion asked removing his shirt over his head. He goes to his office to pull out a fresh smelling gi from cabinet then began changing in his office.

"She grounded him for a week." Alex said smirking.

"That's nothing compared to the week he'll have with me." Rion said from his office. He was placing his black belt around his waist.

"Oh boy. I'd hate to be him right now." Alex joked. Rion comes back out onto the mat. The students began filing into the dojo. Bobby, Rogue, John and Kitty looked scared. Peter and Jubilee wondered what was going on with them. Bobby, John and Peter were blue green belts. Kitty and Jubilee are orange belts. Rogue is the only white belt in their class.

"What's with you four?" Peter asked.

"Yeah you two look nervous." Jubilee asked.

"We're fine." Bobby asked.

"Nothing's wrong." John said as they all made their way to the mat and began their normal routine in stretching.

"What are you gonna do?" Alex asked.

"Punish them." He said. "Bobby, Rogue, Kitty, John can I see you four for a second." He called to them as the four stood up and went over to him.

"Yes sensei." Bobby said as the four bowed. He bowed back.

"I heard about your incident in the museum. You four are going to run four laps around the gym then do pushups before class starts." Rion told them. "Understood?"

"Yes Sensei." They said in unison. "Alright get to it. Around the dojo." He told them. The four bowed again before starting to running laps around the dojo outside of the mats. They're led by Bobby, followed by Rogue, Johnny and Kitty.

"You really think someone orchestrated the attack on the president?" Alex asked.

"I have no doubt in my mind." Rion told them. "It's bad enough we got people wanting us to reveal our identities as mutants now this attack. It's bound to get worse before it gets better."

"Yep." Alex said.

Bobby, Rogue, John and Kitty ran their laps and did thirty pushups before their class started. Rion worked them hard for an hour.

Professor Xavier has been in his office going over paperwork as well as correcting exams. He looked up hearing the TV reporter talking about the mutant attack on the president. He hated what was being said. None of what was said could corroborated but still reporters continue to spew out what was fed to them by the government. He shook his head when the phone rang.

"Hello Logan." Professor Xavier said to him.

"Hey ya chuck." Logan said greeting him. He could feel Professor Xavier shaking his head over the phone. "How's everything over there?" He asked.

"Everything is good." Professor Xavier said.

"How's my lady doing?" Logan asked.

"Oh she's doing good." Professor said.

"Ok. I'm on my way back. Don't let her know. I wanna surprise her." Logan told him.

"Ok. See you soon." Professor Xavier said.

"Later." Logan said hanging up the phone. He smiled and suspected that the professor was smiling as well. He knew his coming home would be reciprocated. He couldn't wait.


	6. Oval Office Meeting

X2

Chapter Six: Oval Office Meeting

The Oval office had been buzzing all day since the attack this morning. Some of the secret service men had to be seen by doctors. The president himself had been on edge. Rightfully so. The man almost got killed. The knife that almost killed him still sits on the desk. A man in his early sixties is examining the knife. He appears to be a wealthy man who has seen his share of wars in his days. He rubs the mark with his finger. The man's name is William Stryker.

"It was close, wasn't it? Closer than anyone's admitted." Stryker said.

President McKenna is pouring two glasses of brandy.

"What do you need William?" President McKenna asked.

"My division needs your authority for a pencil operation." Stryker told him.

The president sighs, takes a sip of his brandy. He saw this coming.

"And somehow I thought you were here to talk about school reform." President McKenna said.

"Funny you should say that." Stryker responds.

There's a knock on the door. The assistant opens the door and in steps Senator Kelly.

"Mr. President. Thanks for having me." Senator Kelly said shaking hands with the president.

"I don't believe you two have met. Senator Kelly, this is William Stryker." President McKenna said introducing the two.

"No we've never met…but I've followed your career for years. It seems that your ideas about the mutant problem have changed recently." Stryker said to him.

"For the best, I hope." Senator Kelly said.

"Senator Kelly's been at the forefront of both sides of the issue for some time I brought his point of view would be worthwhile…particularly during this crisis." President McKenna said.

"If you think that's appropriate…." Stryker said.

"So what are you proposing, Mr. Stryker?" Senator Kelly asked.

Stryker, clearly not comfortable with Kelly's request, begins to place surveillance photos of Xavier's mansion on the president's desk.

"My people have gathered these surveillance photos of a mutant training facility in the Salem region of upstate New York." Stryker told them.

"Where did you get this information?" President McKenna asked.

"Interrogation of one of the Liberty Island terrorists." Stryker told him.

"Erik….Erik Lensherr? You have access to him?" Senator Kelly asked.

"My group developed the technology that built his prison, when I might add, the defense department couldn't find room in their budget." Stryker told him.

President McKenna continues looking at the photos then hands them to Senator Kelly who gets a look at them. His face is blank.

"This facility is a school." Senator Kelly said to him.

"Sure it is." Stryker said then throwing down a series of black and white photos of the mansion. In them, the basketball court opens up to reveal the X-Jet. "Now you ask yourself: how could this have happened?" He continues turns and glances at a damaged wall. "How could it not have?" President McKenna stands up and takes another sip of his drink and sighs deeply. "If we'd been allowed to do our jobs…before this incident…Don't misinterpret my goals, Senator. We just want to go in there –see what they're up to." Stryker said hiding his real agenda. He holds up another photo. "Oh. One last thing, Mr. President. For over a year, we've been tracking this mutant." Stryker said handing the photo to President McKenna, who looks up at Stryker in shock, because…. "This photo was taken three months ago." He continued as the surveillance photo shows that of Nightcrawler, the same mutant who attacked the president earlier today.

"William, you enter, detain and question. The last thing we need is a mutant dead body on our hands." President McKenna told him. Stryker nods.

Stryker emerges from the president's office to greet Yuriko-his personal assistant. They walk through the outer hallway which is being repaired from the attack.

"Mr. Styker." Senator Kelly caught up to him. Styker and Yuriko stop and turn around to see the Senator Kelly.

"Senator Kelly, this is Yuriko, my director of special projects." Stryker told him.

"My pleasure." Senator Kelly said shaking her hand. Yuriko grips his hand tightly. A little too tight for his liking. She's stronger than she looks. "That's quite a grip you got there." Senator Kelly said.

"What can I do for you Senator?" Stryker asked not really caring to speak with the Senator.

"Eric Lenshur's prison, I'd like to arrange a visit if possible." Senator Kelly asked. They really don't know that the actual senator is dead and that's actually Mystique impersonating him.

"This isn't a petting zoo Senator. In this conflict, he is the enemy and you're merely just a spectator. Why don't you sit this one out?" Styker said slapping the Senator's shoulder.

"Conflict, Mr. Stryker do you really wanna turn this into a war?" Senator Kelly asks. Stryker stops in his tracks turns and goes over to him.

"I was part of the black ops in the jungles of vitenam while you were still sucking on your mother's tit at some Woodstock concert. Don't lecture me about war. This already is a war." Stryker said then walking away from him. Senator Kelly stares smugly at Stryker and Yuriko's backd as his eyes glow yellow.


	7. Logan's Return

X2

Chapter Seven: Logan's Return

Rogue and Bobby are sitting on the couch with a Kitty, John, Kitty and Bobby watching the news. Rogue, Bobby, John and Kitty were still in pain from the intense class Rion put them through. John is lying on Kitty's shoulder both too pooped to sit up. Peter and Jubilee are kissing. Bobby and Rogue watched them feeling a little jealous. Both wanted desperately to kiss and be intimate but because of Rogue's abilities, that couldn't happen. The door opens and in steps Logan. Rogue sees him and smiles excitedly.

"LOGAN!" Rogue yells as she gets off the couch and runs over towards him.

"Rogue." Logan said smiling as he pull her into a hug. "How you doing squirt?" He asked her.

"Fine." She said smiling.

"Logan hey." Bobby said smiling.

"What's up Bobby?" Logan smiled shaking his hand.

"Logan." Came Kitty's excited voice. She and John barely got up off the couch to greet him.

"Logan hey." John said smiling.

"Hey you two." Logan said hugging them. They groaned in pain. Logan stared at them wondering if he had hugged them too hard. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"We had an intense class with Sensei a couple of hours ago." Rogue told him. "We're still feeling the effects of it."

"Aw don't worry. A little work out won't kill ya." Logan said.

"Hey, hey Logan welcome back man." Alex said going over to shake his hand.

"Thanks Alex." Logan said smiling.

"Welcome home Logan." Emma said.

"Thanks Emma." He said as the two hugged.

"Roh can't wait to see you." She said smirking.

"Where is she?" Logan asked.

"She's upstairs getting ready for our trip to Boston." Emma told him.

"Hey Logan welcome home." Jean said coming down the stairs.

"Well hello Mrs. Summers." He said smiling as the others laughed. Jean smirked. "How's married life treating you?" He asked as she hugged him.

"It's great thanks." Jean said smiling.

"It ought to be the way their bedroom shakes." Emma said earning a chuckle from the others. Jean playfully pushes her.

"Logan!" Ororo squealed excitedly. She came rushing down the stairs. Logan couldn't help but watch as her breasts bounced up and down coming down the stairs. He smiles wide.

"Hey darling." Logan said scooping her up in his arms. The two shared a long lustful kiss. "Daddy's home."

"MMMM." Ororo moaned smirking as Logan pulls her into another kiss. The others laughed.

"Ok. I'm going back to the couch." John said as he is a little put off by his mother and Logan's make out session. He and Kitty move back towards the couch.

"We'll see you later Logan." Rogue said as Bobby waves pulling her back to the couch in the living room.

"Later." Logan said through his short kisses on Ororo's mouth. "I can't wait to spend the evening with you." Logan said.

"I wish I could honey. I can't." Ororo said regretting it.

"Why?" Logan asked.

"Because she has to come with us to Boston to track that mutant who attacked the president." Jean told him.

"So it was a mutant?" Logan asked his arms still firmly wrapped around Ororo's waist.

"Mm-hmm." Emma said. "I'm gonna go get the plane ready. Jean wanna help me?"

"Sure we can let Roh and Logan say goodbye." Jean said smirking.

"If only they had more time." Emma said as Jean chuckled.

"So. You gotta go huh?" Logan asked her.

"Yeah I do. I promise I'll make it up to you." Ororo said.

"You better." Logan told her before they kissed again. He reluctantly let her go. "Love you babe."

"Love you to." Ororo said.

"Be safe." Logan told her.

"We will." Ororo said heading in the same direction Jean and Emma headed in. She made sure to sashay as she left knowing Logan would be watching her no doubt drooling.

"Find what you were looking for Logan?" Scott can be heard saying from the stair case.

"More or less." Logan said to him.

"Well, it's perfect timing because we need a third babysitter." Scott said.

"Babysitter?" Logan asked.

"Yes. I'm escorting the professor to the prison to speak with Magneto. We need more information about the attack on the president this morning." Scott told him.

"Ok. Who else is here?" Logan asked.

"Alex, and Rion will be here for the night so you're not alone." Scott told him.

"Ok." Logan said. "Where's the professor?"

"Cerebro." Scott told him.

"Oh uh your bike needs gas." Logan said tossing the keys at him.

"Then filler up." Scott said tossing the keys back at him then turning and heading back up the stairs. Logan headed into the living room and put his bag down before heading to cerebro. He had gotten off the elevator then made his way towards the room with cerebro. Rion was heading in the opposite direction. He was looking at some papers in a folder.

"How's it going Sensei?" Logan said to him smirking.

"Hey Logan." Rion said looking up smiling then going back to the folder. He kept walking. "Welcome back." He said as he continued down the hall. Logan thought that was weird. He was acting differently. More than he had by the time left. He could tell Rion's personality had changed. He wondered if it had anything to do with the wedding. He continued towards cerebro and found the professor there. He was still smoking his cigar.

"Logan, my repeated requests about smoking in the mansion notwithstanding, continue smoking that in here…and you will spend the rest of your days under the belief that you're a six year-old girl." Professor Xavier said to him. Logan is behind him at the entrance still smoking the cigar.

"You'd do that?" Logan asked.

"I'd have Jean braid your hair." Professor Xavier smirked. Logan puts out the cigar with his palm, and puts the rest in his shirt pocket for later. "How was your search? More questions than answers?" He asked.

Logan steps forward onto the platform and the door closes. Professor Xavier puts on the helmet. As cerebro hums to life, Logan looks around, sketchy.

"You want me to leave?" Logan asked feeling a little claustrophobic.

"No. Just don't move." Professor Xavier told him.

The walls fall away. The cerebro POV abruptly pulls straight down with stomach lurching speed, rushing through blackness with hints of light. In seconds, both Logan and Xavier are standing inside of a giant image of the earth rotating above them.

Dotted across all continents are sparkling white and red lights, like stars fallen to Earth, the white lights far outweigh the reds.

"Those lights represent the whole of humanity. Every living soul on every continent." Professor Xavier said. Suddenly, the white lights fade-leaving only red ones. "And these are the mutants-many of them don't even realize yet who they are. You see, we're not as alone as you think."

"I found the base at Alkali Lake…there was nothing there." Logan told him.

Xavier's too focused on the lights, which have completely faded, leaving only read lines along the east coast.

"Odd. This broken line represents the path of the mutant who attacked the president. I'm finding it hard to lock-on to him." Professor Xavier said.

"Can't you just increase the…signal?" Logan asked.

"If I wanted to kill him, yes." Professor Xavier said.

Cerebro zooms in closer, revealing a blinking red light in Boston. Latitude and Longitude points are displayed.

"…it looks like he's finally stopped running." Professor Xavier said. Logan is angry. He has no interest in talking about this.

"I need you to read my mind again." Logan tells him.

Professor Xavier closes his eyes-he has found what he needs. Suddenly, the cerebro effects collapses on its self and we're back on the catwalk.

"I'm afraid the results will be the same as before." Professor Xavier told him.

"We had a deal." Logan said to him.

"Logan, the mind is not a box to be simply unlocked and opened. It's a beehive, with a million separate compartments. I don't doubt that your amnesia and…enhancements are connected, but using my telepathy is still far too risky." Professor Xavier tells him. Professor Xavier puts the helmet down. Logan is more pissed off than disappointed. "I promise we'll talk more when I return. Scott and I are going to pay an old friend a visit." He said as they headed out of cerebro.


	8. Power Of Persuasion

X2

Chapter Eight: Power Of Persuasion

At the plastic prison, Magneto is resting comfortably in his cell. It's still the middle of the day but of course he didn't know that. The transparent plastic prison-dimly lit. Magneto's face is obscured by the book he is reading: T.H. White's _"The Once And Future King."_

The walkway extends across the chasm to his cell. A big, obnoxious guard by the name of Mitchell Laurio enters. Magneto lowers the book to reveal bruises on his face.

"Mr. Laurio. How long can we keep this up?" Magneto asked.

"How long is your sentence?" Laurio asks.

A series of camera in the prison suddenly click off.

"Not necessarily forever, Mr. Lenshur. Just until I've got all that I need." Stryker said coming into the cell like he owned the place. After all his people did create the technology holding Magneto to that cell.

"Mr. Styker. How kind of you to visit. Have you come back to make sure your hard earned dollars are keeping me so…comfortable?" Magneto asked tilting his head showing the bruise on his face.

Stryker calmly sits at the table, facing him. He tosses a small tube of yellow liquid to Laurio. Magneto looks at the vial, genuine fear in his eyes. He tries to stand and Laurio quickly forces him back down, pressing his face to the table. Stryker watches amused smiling.

"Now, Mr. Lenshur…I'd like to have one final talk about the house that Xavier build-and the machine called cerebro." Stryker told him. Magneto looks more compliant. "Tell me about the house Xavier built?" He asked.

"Not a house but a mansion." Magneto speaks.

"What's it for?" Stryker asked.

"A school for mutants." Magneto answers.

"What about cerebro? What kind of machine is it?" Styker asks.

"Xavier using cerebro can connect to all living beings on earth people and humans." Magneto responds.

"Where would it be in the mansion?" Stryker asked.

"The lower levels." Magneto answers.

"You did good Magneto." Stryker said then turns to Laurio who moves him towards the bed. Both leave Magneto's cell. Stryker smiles evillily as he leaves.


	9. A Little Jet Teasing

X2

Chapter Nine: A Little Jet Teasing

Ororo pilots the jet while Jean navigates. Emma is in the seat behind Ororo. The three ladies are in their battle uniforms. Since getting on the jet, Emma and Jean have been playfully teasing Ororo about her encounter with Logan.

"Oh girl, you are whipped." Emma told her as Jean laughs. "What did Logan do to you before he left?"

"Nothing." Ororo said coyly.

"Bullshit. He humped you senseless." Emma said. Jean continues chuckling. Ororo is smirking. "Jean, did you see the way she jumped into Logan's arms. Oh my god. What did he say to her?"

"He said _'Daddy's home.'_" Jean said mimicking Logan's manly as both girls chuckled loudly.

"Ladies are we having fun?" Professor Xavier said over the radio. They stopped laughing but still remaining smiling at Ororo who couldn't wipe the smirk off her face.

"Yes professor we're here." Emma said over the radio.

"The mutant's signal has finally settled in Boston. I'm sending his last known coordinates to you now. Once you land, Emma, you'll have to rely on your skills to track him. Jean you help. You know what they say two telepaths are better than one." Professor Xavier said over the phone.

"Uh professor who says that?" Jean asked.

"I don't know." Professor Xavier said as the girls chuckle again. Emma smirks as she can feel the Professor smile at his own joke.

"He's messing with us." Emma said smiling.

"Professor." Jean scolds laughing.

"Sorry couldn't help myself." Professor Xavier said smirking.

"Let's hope he cooperates." Jean said to the girls and the professor.

"Yes, for his sake. Good luck." Professor Xavier said he ends the transmission.

The jet passes over the statue of liberty. Work men can be seen paten a hole blasted through the statue's forehead. The jet banks silently and disappears into the clouds.

"So where were we?" Emma asked. Jean smirks again.

"We were talking about Roh's sex life with Logan." Jean said.

"Oh yeah. How was he?" Emma asked.

"I won't tell." Ororo said.

"Oh come on. Jean told us every little nasty detail of her honeymoon. You know how I get down. You have to come clean about you and Logan." Emma told her.

"Ok have you and Logan hit the sheets or not?" Jean asked. Ororo smirked. Both Jean and Emma squealed little like hyenas. "I knew it."

"We did it the night before he left." Ororo revealed.

"I'll bet you needed that release didn't you?" Emma asked her.

"He knocked the cobwebs out of her bat cave." Jean said as the two chuckled. Ororo chuckled as well.

"I'll bet he's going to ravish her when we get back. Bet you can't wait to have all of him in you again." Emma snickered.

"Hell she might ware him out in the bedroom." Jean said as Ororo shook her head smiling.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we hear the bed post slamming against wall." Emma said as she and Jean chuckled.

"You two are so juvenile." Ororo said as they continued teasing her.

"Seriously though, Roh we're just happy for you." Jean said.

"Yeah. We haven't seen you this happy since before your break up. It's nice to see a guy put a smile on that face again." Emma told her. Ororo was touched by their words.

"I appreciate you girls saying that. Truth is I've fallen so hard for him. I hope I'm not making a mistake." Ororo revealed. The truth was that she was worried that Logan would break her heart. He's proving to be the kind of guy who Ororo needs in her life.

"I don't see him doing that to you." Jean said. "Logan maybe rough around the edges but he's still seems to be a decent guy."

"And is great in bed." Ororo said as they all laughed.

"Would you marry him if he asked you?" Emma asked.

"Probably. Yes." Ororo adds.

"I hear that. Lock'em down before some other woman gets him." Emma said.

"I'll kill the bitch first." Ororo said as they giggled. The jet continues its way towards boston.


	10. Master Hacker

X2

Chapter Ten: Master Hacker

The federal building is closed at this time. Its early evening hours. No one should be in the building this late. Senator Kelly makes his way across the front area. He passes a pole, he morphs into Yuriko. Yuriko makes her way into the federal building. She then heads down the stairs and turns passing several window offices. She walks past the cleaning crew who doesn't see her. She presses her palm against the door of the hand scanner and the door unlocks.

Yuriko morphs into Mystique and locks the door behind her. She quickly heads to the desk and sits in front of a computer.

On The Monitor: Voiceprint Identification Please.

"William Stryker." Mystique said in Stryker's voice matching his voice perfectly.

On The Monitor: Access Granted.

Mystique smiles triumphantly. She selects 'recent items' from a menu and finds a folder labeled 143. Inside it, she opens a series of files, floor plans. Lenshur Augmentation, etc….She sees a model of the prison its self and all of the security guards who are on staff to watch Magneto. She begins to print them out.

Meanwhile the real Yuriko makes her way towards the federal building. She passes the same lobby that Mystique passed posing as her and continues down the hall towards the stairs.

Mystique continues reading the files her smiles fades. She comes upon the files that say 'cerebro' on it. She opens it and learns of a second cerebro. She prints those files as well.

The real Yuriko continues down the stairs to the hall. She palms her hand against the scanner and is granted access. Mystique looks up startled. She hadn't expected anyone to come to the federal building this late but someone was there. She quickly grabs what she's looking for then shifts into one of the cleaning crew just as the real Yuriko opens the door.

"What are you doing in here?" Yuriko asks.

"Lo siento, la puerta fui abierto. Saco la basura." The cleaning crew member said in Spanish.

"What?" Yuriko asked. She doesn't understand Spanish.

"The door was open. I pick up trash." The cleaning crew member said then makes his exit. Yuriko stares at the cleaning crew member as he leaves. She doesn't believe him but doesn't say anything.

In the hall, the cleaning crew member sees a glimps of himself passing by him and is dumfounded. Once out of the federal building, Mystique continues using the cleaning crew member's identity until she is safely in Senator Kelly's car. She shifts back into the senator and drives off with the information she needs. She smiles as her eyes glow yellow.


	11. The Teleporter

X2

Chapter Eleven: The Teleporter

Storm landed the jet just above the surface of the water. She makes sure to keep it invisible in case someone saw it. Frost had told her to do so because the place where the mutant is was nearby. In their uniforms, they leave the ship and make their way to a church a couple of blocks away from the harbor.

"These are the coordinates." Storm said. All three stop and stare at the wall of an abandoned church. All three have angered expressions on their face.

The wall reads: Clean the gene pool-kill mutant scum. It's written in graffiti.

"Punks." Frost said as she walks off. Storm follows along with Jean who gives the wall one last look over before they make they into the entrance of the church.

"He's in here." Jean said. They come upon the entrance. There's a sign that reads: Condemned, city of Boston. Emma concentrates and pops the chains off. Storm pushes the wooden doors open. It makes a rusty sound is if it had been abandoned for a long time now.

Storm summons a gust of sending the pigeons flying from the rafters as they enter the dark church. They head down the aisle. Statues of saints line the walls. As the three walk further in, a statue in the shadows seems to turn watching them.

"Steigen sie aus…" Whispering voice speaks.

BAMF! A puff of smoke from the alter-and the voice again from a chorus balcony behind them-

"Ich bin ein minion das teufels!" Whispering voice speaks again.

"We're not here to hurt you." Storm said the first to speak. "We just want to talk."

BMAF! Smoke from the balcony. The voice speaks from the rafters above…A dark figure climbing in the beams.

"Ich bin ein tormentor vom verdammten!" Whispering voice speaks again.

"He's a teleporter. Must be why the professor had trouble locking onto him." Jean said them. Jean rolls her eyes definitely not impressed.

"Ich bin ein gebrochen!" Voice speaks again. This time a little louder.

"Are you bored yet?" Jean asks.

"I know I am." Frost said.

"And that makes three of us." Storm said. "Sure you don't come down?" She asked there's no answer. She looks back at Frost and Jean who both nod. Storm turns back to him her eyes gone white. She concentrates as lightening twist and coils up and strikes the rafters, sending the figure falling.

BMAF! The figure disappears in a cloud of smoke. Jean holds up her hands and BAMF! He reappears, frozen in mid-air, Emma holds him in place using her mind as well. Held up in their grasp is Nightcrawler. His kicking and squirms were all for nothing. He can't escape their hold on him.

"You two have him?" Storm asked.

"Oh yeah." Frost said.

"He's not going anywhere. Are you?" Jean asked him as he rotates closer to them.

"Please don't kill me! I never intended to harm anyone!" Nightcrawler said.

"I wonder how people got that impression. What's your name?" Storm asked. Nightcrawler eyes them nervously.

"Kurt Wagner." Nightcrawler told them. A few moments later, Kurt Wagner showed them to a small room. He turned the room into a home. He didn't have much but old bibles, hymnals and other religious objects are scattered next to blankets and food. He's sitting on what appears to be a cot. The girls lean hover over him. He clutches a rosary close to his chest. Frost looks around noticing all the old circus posters with images of Kurt, advertised as 'The Incredible Nightcrawler.' "I could see it all happening…but I couldn't stop myself. It was…someone else like a bad dream." He told them in his heavy german accent. He looks upward towards the crucifix. "I fear he's left me. I even found…a mark. Here. Look." He said showing them the mark on the back of his neck. Storm is fascinated by his markings.

"You did these yourself?" She asked.

"Yes." Nightcrawler answers.

"What about this one?" Storm said fingering the small hole in his neck. Frost and Jean look at each other. He doesn't answer. The needle marking on his neck matches that of Magneto's.

"We better get him back to the professor. He'll know what to do." Frost said.

"Professor?" Nightcrawler asked curiously.

"Yes. He can help." Jean said.

"Will you come with us?" Storm asks. Nightcrawler nods. The girls share a triumphant look.


	12. No Sleep

X2

Chapter Twelve: No Sleep

After his talk with the professor, Logan got unpacked in his room and decided to have a bite to eat. The children hadn't eaten and the cooking was usually left up to the girls but Alex and Rion would have to cook. Logan decided to help. He helped them make hot dogs and fries. The kids enjoyed that. They're sitting at the table chatting. Sitting at the table with him are John, Kitty, Bobby, Rogue, Peter and Jubilee.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Alex asked.

"No not really. I wanted the professor to scan my mind again but he said he'd get the same result." Logan told him.

"That sucks." Alex told him.

"Tell me about it." Logan said taking a bite of his hotdog.

"This is a good hotdog Logan." John told him.

"Yeah where did you learn to make hotdogs?" Rogue asked.

"Ororo showed me how." Logan said smirking. They all smiled. "The night before I left, she showed me how to cook hotdogs and burger. We made a date of it. We ate and talked before…well you know." Logan said smirking.

"Ewwelll!" Came the voices of Rogue, Kitty and Jubilee. Bobby and Peter smirked.

"I did not need to hear that." John said as Logan shrugged smirking. Alex chuckled. He looked over at Rion who ate by himself.

"What's going on with Rion?" Logan asked.

"He's been acting a bit distant since you were last here." Alex told him.

"Yeah, whenever we talk to him we get one word sentences." John told him. "I'm worried about him."

Logan watched him wondering if there was still some residual feelings going on with Rion since the wedding. He wondered if he's relationship with Ororo was any better. Judging by the fact that Rion hadn't looked up once only told Logan everything he needed to know. Maybe he could talk to Rion later on. Rion heard everything that was said but kept to himself.

Later on it was time for the kids to go to bed. Logan himself was pretty pooped. He conked out on his bed. He was having the same nightmare he'd been having. He mumbles in his sleep then finally jerks himself awake. His claws come out. He looks around breathing heavily and sighs thank god Rogue was in her room this time. Didn't want to have deja vue all over again. He got up off the bed and headed into the bathroom. He splashed water onto his face before deciding to leave the room. He headed downstairs. Logan hears the TV going and heads for the living room. There he spots a little boy by the name of Jones sitting on the couch in front of the television. Jones is a twelve year old boy with glasses. Logan stands there watching him a moment.

"Can't sleep?" Jones asks feeling Logan's presence.

"How can you tell?" Logan asked.

"Cause you're awake." Jones says.

"Right. How about you?" Logan asks.

"I don't sleep." Jones tells him.

Logan takes a closer look and can see that the channel changes every time Jones blinks. Logan is fascinated by this. Finding himself thirsty, Logan makes his way towards the kitchen. Alex is still in kitchen drinking a soda. Bobby is eating ice cream. He couldn't sleep.

"Hey." Logan said going into the fridge.

"Hey." Both Alex and Bobby said in unison.

"Can't sleep huh?" Alex asked.

"Am I that transparent?" Logan asked. Bobby chuckled.

"Yep." Alex said.

"What about you?" Logan asked.

"I can't sleep either. I got hungry again." Alex said having just finished eating left over hotdogs.

"Does Rion know you're eating like this?" Logan asked.

"He doesn't care but we have intense work outs after woods." Alex said.

"I'd lay off the hotdogs if I were you." Logan told him.

"Too late." Alex said patting his stomach. Bobby chuckled. Logan chuckled to.


	13. Stryker

X2

Chapter Thirteen: Stryker

At the plastic prison, Professor Xavier is being escorted by Cyclops to the check point of the prison. He was given a plastic wheelchair to keep Magneto escaping. Cyclops watches carefully as Professor Xavier is wheeled into the security area. Cyclops follows.

"Scott, you can wait here. I'll be out in a few minutes." Professor Xavier told him. Cyclops nods.

Professor Xavier approaches a large circular door. Two guards stand next to it. Cyclops glances towards Mitchell Laurio, who smiles eerily at him.

"Hey." Laurio said.

"Hey." Cyclops said. Cyclops thought about the guard's demeanor for a moment. He knew he was a mutant but didn't seem afraid of Scott or the professor. Mainly because he had been in constant contact with Magneto. Cyclops thought at the very least he had to he was an Xmen. After all he is in his uniform. He chalked it up to the fact that Laurio didn't know about the X men and didn't care. Something wasn't right about this visit though and Cyclops knew it. He could feel it.

In the plastic Prison, Xavier is wheeled down the long plastic tube. They enter Magneto's cell. Magneto faces away from Professor Xaiver, placing the chess pieces back on his plastic board.

"Charles Xavier. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Magneto asked.

"There's been an assassination attempt on the President, Eric. Do you know about it?" Professor Xavier asked.

"Nothing. You shouldn't even have to ask." Magneto told him. Magneto turns towards him revealing the bruises on his face. Xavier is horrified.

"What's happened to you?" Professor Xavier asked.

"I've had frequent visits from William Stryker." Magneto says to him. Professor Xavier reacts. It's clear that they both know him.

"William Stryker." Professor Xavier asked. Magneto nods slowly.

"His son Jason was once a student of yours, wasn't he?" Magneto asks.

"Yes. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to help him. Not in the way his father wanted me to." Professor Xavier explained.

In the security checkpoint of the plastic prison, Laurio glares at Cyclops. A woman enters the room-It's Yuriko. She approaches Cyclops and looks closely at him.

"And now you think that taking in the Wolverine will make up for your failure with Stryker's son?" Magneto asked from his cell.

Professor Xavier doesn't respond but knows something is very wrong.

"You haven't told him about the truth, have you?" Magneto asks.

"His mind is still fragile." Professor Xavier said.

"Is it? Or are you afraid you'll lose him, old friend…To the truth?" Magneto asks.

"There is no truth in vengeance." Professor Xavier said.

"Are you so sure?" Magneto asks. He sighs deeply looking away from Professor Xavier.

Professor Xavier concentrating reading Magneto's mind. His demeanor suddenly changes-he's shocked.

"What have you done, Eric?" Professor Xavier asks.

"I'm sorry, Charles…I…couldn't help it." Magneto told him.

"What have you told him?" Professor Xavier asked.

Magneto reaches around, and instinctively rubs the scar on his neck.

"Everything." He said.

Professor Xavier sits back horrified. Magneto looks away. The information runs through Professor Xavier's Mind.

"SCOTT!" The professor yells from Magneto's cell.

"What's going on?" Cyclops yells from his position.

Yuriko goes to attack Cyclops. He fights bravely knocking Yuriko to the ground. Laurio and another security guard try to fight him but they are no match for Cyclops. Yuriko gets to her feet and goes after Cyclops again. This time she uses a few choice kicks to knock him down and out.

In Magneto's cell, Professor Xavier panics. He looks around-The catwalk is being retracted from the cell. The air suddenly gets thicker and the professor starts to cough.

"What's happening?!" Professor Xavier asks.

Magneto stares at Professor Xavier in fear. His eyes are bloodshot. He starts to choke, because the room is filling up with gas. They both struggle, cough and finally…pass out.

"Carry him to my car. I'll get the other one." Yuriko said as Laurio nods. He lifted Cyclops over his head and quickly takes him out of the prison to Yuriko's car. The catwalk reconnects to Magneto's cell. She quickly makes her way over to the professor lifting his limp body onto his wheelchair and wheeling him out of the cell. Once at the check point again, the catwalk retracts once more. Yuriko takes the professor to her car and is placed in the back with Cyclops. She slides Laurio several stacks of hundred dollar bills before she gets in and drives off. Laurio returns to his post as if nothing had ever happened.


	14. School Under Attack

X2

Chapter Fourteen: School Under Attack

Logan, Alex, and Bobby continue their conversation in the kitchen. Bobby had gotten more ice cream. Logan teases him about it. Neither of them knew the threat that awaits them.

"So how are things going between you and Rogue?" Logan asked.

"Pretty good but…" Bobby trailed off. "We can't be as close as I'd like." Bobby told him. Logan looked at him wondering if he met sex. Bobby notices this and corrects himself. "Not like that but I would like to kiss her but I can't." He said. Alex chuckled as Logan gave Bobby a glare that a father would give his daughter's boyfriend. Bobby looked away.

"What about you and Roh?" Alex said coming to Bobby's recue.

"What about us?" Logan asked.

"Well I know you're a little miffed that she ain't here to ravish." Alex said teasingly. Bobby smirked.

"Oh don't worry about that. I will make her moan my name like I did the night before I left." Logan said as Alex bursts out laughing. Bobby chuckled to.

"What's going on?" Rion asked coming into the kitchen. He was dressed in his sweat pants and white T-shirt.

"We're talking about sex." Logan said. Alex continued to chuckle.

"In front of the boy?" Rion asked.

"I'm not a boy. I'm a man." Bobby said. Logan, Alex, and Rion all glanced at him before they start laughing. Bobby rolled his eyes. "Ok I'm not yet a man but I'm almost there."

"Don't grow up too fast." Logan told him. "You've got your whole life ahead of you." He said as Bobby shrugged."So Rion, how's the training coming along?" Logan asked.

"Good. I'm just about ready." Rion told him.

"Hey Rion tell Logan about the ass kicking you put on those thugs outside of the gym today." Alex told him. Logan looked from Alex to Rion wondering what happened.

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"It's nothing." Rion said sipping his soda. "These five thugs tried to attack me and I was forced to defend myself."

"You kicked their asses?" Logan asked smirking.

"Of course." He said as they chuckled.

Jones still sits in front of the TV on the couch. He apparently found something on TV worth watching. He's laughing to himself but every time he blinked the channel changed. He had to keep turning the TV back to the same channel again. Behind him its blurry in the background. A shape, a man moves slowly descending from the ceiling and quietly sets on the ground. It slowly rises to its full height and two glowing red eyes appear. Jones sees the reflection of their eyes on the TV screen. He turns and sees the man staring at him dressed in black, battle gear. His faces is completely covered, two glowing goggles cover his eyes. At first glance, he could easily pass for one of the X-Men in uniform. Eerily, he waves to Jones.

Jones gets off the couch…and walks towards him. Jones stops and looks up. A rope is dangling from the open skylight. The man doesn't move – he looks at Jones curiously. He methodically holds up a gun and aims it directly at the mutant's head. The boy takes a step back, when…BANG! Jones falls to the floor. A dozen soldiers rush up both staircases and into the upstairs rooms, rifles raised.

Rion, Logan, Alex and Bobby are still in the kitchen talking when both Logan and Rion looked up hearing something. Both Alex and Bobby stared at them wondering what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Bobby asked.

"SHH!" Logan told him. They heard footsteps. The footsteps are faint but they are heard. Logan and Rion's enhanced abilities alerts them to the intruders. Rion and Logan both stand up from the table. They listen for the footsteps. Both glance at each other frowning. Rion suddenly sees red dots in the kitchen. He knows what the red dots are.

"GET DOWN!" He yells as Alex instinctively pulls Bobby down under the table. Rion and Logan duck down behind the counter. Several shots are fired into the kitchen. Once the bullets stopped, four armed men wearing black battle gear with goggles move into the kitchen. Both Logan and Rion quickly take them out. Logan stabs the first two while Rion snaps the necks of the other two. They nod to each other. Bobby rises up slowly with Alex.

"You two ok?" Logan asked.

"Yeah." Alex said as Bobby nods. They move towards Logan and Rion. Suddenly from behind three more men swing into the kitchen through the window using ropes. Alex turns and fires two concussion beams at them. All three men fly back out the window.

"Let's go." Rion said as they followed him out of the kitchen.

The gunmen move into one of the rooms housing the teens with their guns raised. They see Artie who is asleep on the bed with another boy. Peter is with them as well having read to the youngster before bed. Two soldiers fire their weapons at Artie and the other boy. This angers Peter up who quickly changes his upper torso into an organic looking armor. The intrusion has definitely awakened the children who run for safety. Peter takes the two soldiers out using his armor.

In another room, a soldier kicks the door open, a girl screams and damn near causes everyone in the mansion to go deaf. The soldier shoots silencing her.

Outside of the mansion, six helicopter's approach and land in the yard. Several soldiers continue making their way through the mansion. Peter takes a group of kids trying to get to safety. Meanwhile another helicopter grumbles outside, shining a spotlight into the window. Smash! Small cannisters break through the windows and hit the floor, filling the hall with tear gas. Screaming children run from their rooms. Rion, Alex and Logan try to take out as many as possible. Bobby races up the stairs to see if Rogue and John are ok. Rion gets a hold of Jones and picks him up.

"Peter where's Rogue and John?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know but we have to get the children out of here." Peter told him still holding Artie.

"Go, I'll catch up." Bobby said. Kitty and Jubilee run towards Peter. Kitty had phased from her bed to allude the soldier while Jubilee uses one of her minor concussion beams from her fingers knocking one of the soldiers out cold.

"We gotta go." Peter told them. They followed him to the spot that provided a quick exit in case something like this happened.

Bobby is searching the rumble of fleeing students when he spots Rogue, and John.

"Bobby!" Rogue called to him. She runs into his arms. They hug.

"You ok?" John asked.

"Yes." Bobby responds.

"Where's Kitty?" John asked.

"She went with Peter and Jubilee. She's safe." Bobby said.

"Good we need to get the fuck out of here." John said as the three try to head for the stairs.

"Peter, take Jones." Rion told him. Peter hands Artie to another boy his age but a little shorter. He takes Jones into his arms.

"I can help." Peter said. "This is what we trained for Sensei." He continued.

"I appreciate that Pete but the kids need a leader and you have to be it. You need to get them to the safety house." Rion told him. Peter nods. He leads several kids out the back entrances escaping to the forest.

Logan sees several of the soldiers moving through the corridor of the mansion. He looks over at Alex and Rion then nods. Both move strategically around the corridor. Logan lets his claws out and stabs one of the soldiers in the back covering his mouth to prevent him from screaming out in pain. Rion places a choke hold on the second soldier choking him out. Alex does the same but snaps his neck of the third soldier. All three move towards the stairs. Logan ran up the stairs to check and see if all the children had gotten out successfully. He finds two other soldiers affectively taking them out. Back downstairs, Bobby, John and Rogue meet up with Rion and Alex.

"Where's Logan?" Rogue asked.

"He's still upstairs." Alex said.

"We can't leave without him." Rogue told her.

"He can take care of himself. Let's go." Alex said as they are about to go out the front door but are approached by three soldiers guns pointed at them. Alex slowly raises his hands. Bobby, John and Rogue follow suit. Rion meanwhile glares at them using his telepathy to hurt the soldiers. They begin to feel the effects of Rion's telepathy. This trick was taught to him by Emma. The soldiers are momentarily incapacitated allowing Logan to take them out. Logan yells while flying through the air claws poised to strike. He lands onto two of the soldiers stabbing them in the chest. He then slices up the third one.

"Nice." Alex said. Logan nods.

"Let's get out of here." He said as the six move towards the front door but it opens up. "Shit. Back up." He yelled as they move towards the back of the mansion. There's a panel that's another escape route. "Keep going." Logan told them.

"Logan…" Rogue calls to him. Rion grabs her arm. He's about the only one who won't be harmed when touching her.

"Go." Logan growled at her. This even scared Rion. He, Alex, John, Bobby and Rogue ran through the secret passage towards the garage but stopped.

Logan meanwhile heads back down the corridor. Snit! His claws extend again. He stabs one from behind and then cuts up another one. Several of them point their guns at him.

"You wanna shoot me! Shoot me!" He yells at them.

"No. Not yet." Came the voice of William Stryker. Logan stops and listens to the voice. The voice sounds familiar but he can't remember. "Wolverine." He said. Logan still looks at the man trying to remember his face. "How long has it been?" He stops standing a few feet away from Logan. Logan stares but still can't recognize the man in front of him. "Fifteen years? And you haven't changed a bit. Me, on the other hand…" He says his face is cold in nature. Stryker smirks.

He looks at Stryker, searching his aged face. It triggers a vague memory. Involuntarily, Logan's claws slowly retract.

"What do you want?" Logan asked. Stryker smiles.

"We have to go back." Rogue told them.

"He can handle himself, let's go." John said.

"They're going to kill him." Rogue said.

"No they won't." John told her.

"John!" Rion said. "We don't leave family behind." He said as John rolled his eyes looking down.

"What do we do?" Bobby asked. Rion thought for a moment then it hit him.

"Bobby, you and Rogue come with me." Rion said. "Stay put." He told them. All three make their way back towards the mansion.

Stryker takes a closer look at Logan.

"I must admit, this is the last place I thought I'd ever see you, Wolverine. I didn't realize Xavier was taking in strays." Stryker told him.

"Who are you?" Logan asked.

"Don't you remember?" Stryker asked as if he was teasing him.

Logan's eyes go wide—searching for recognition. Suddenly, the space between Logan and Stryker starts to fade as if a thin wall of white fog forms in the room.

Bobby concentrates as his hand is placed against the wall. He's the one forming the white fog between Logan and Stryker. The wall becomes as thick as Ice.

"No. No." Logan yelled. His hand touches the ice just as Stryker's hand touches the same spot from the other side.

"Logan!" Rion called to him. Logan doesn't respond. Rion goes to get him. "Logan!" He calls to him again. Logan looks over at him. "Come on we need to go now." He said as Logan follows as they head for the secret compartment. Rion puts the cover back on it and heads towards the garage where they see Alex and John.

"Finally." John said as the four came rushing in.

"There's six of us. We won't fit in that car." Alex said.

"We will in the van." Rion said as he grabbed the keys to the family caravan and unlocked the door. John got into the back. Bobby and Rogue sat in the seat ahead of him. Alex sat in the back with John. Rion closed the door as he got into the passenger seat. Logan got into the driver's seat. He starts the car and tears out of the garage.

"Who was that?" Rogue asked while Logan drove.

"I can't remember." Logan told them.

"Where are we going?" Alex asked.

"Jean, Ororo and Emma are in Boston. We're going there." Rion told them.

"My parents live in Boston." Bobby told them. He sits back in the car thinking about his dilemma. His parents think he attends a prep school when it's really a school for mutants. It was way too silent in the car for John's liking.

"Can someone please turn on the radio or something?" John asked.

"Why?" Rogue asked.

"Because I hate uncomfortable silence." John said. Rion reaches over and turns on the radio. Classic music came on. Everyone groaned hating classical music. Rion changed the station and N'Sync came on. Rion frowned changing the station again. Rap music came on. He changed the channel once more before a news channel came on. Rion decided to leave it on that channel. Rion's knee accidentally hit the glove compartment and a mini cell phone fell out onto his lap. He stares at the device in hands. It's in the shape of an X. Logan looks over at the phone then at the road.

"Keep that handy. We may need it." Logan said as Rion nods. he puts the device in his pocket.

Back at the mansion, the elevator doors open to reveal Stryker and two of his soldiers. As he exits, another soldier approaches them.

"Sir, we managed to capture eight but the others escaped through some tunnels that weren't in the schematics." Soldier said. Stryker doesn't seem bothered.

"Eight is enough." He said to the soldier.

Stryker stops in front of the door to cerebro. Two soldiers attach a large device that resembles the jaws of life. Suddenly its massive arms clamp onto the door and begins to stretch. It strains at first, but the door is quickly ripped open. Stryker smiles pleased. He walks down the long platform to the center of the room. He glides a finger across the control console, checking for dust. He smiles, definitely impressed. He then turns to leave.

"Gentlemen, take what we need." Stryker said as he left. The soldiers do exactly that. They take what is needed then the leave Xavier's mansion.


	15. The Drake Residence

X2

Chapter Fifteen: The Drake Residence

Sitting in rural bar is security guard Mitchell Laurio. He's slouched on a chair his uniform disheveled with four empty mugs in front of him. His tie is undone and his shirt hangs open. H watches the television, there a debates wages:

"Dr. Shaw. [From the Telvision]…the registration Act provides a sense of security similar to Megan's Law. A list of potentially, dangerous individuals living in our cormunities."

"Dr. McCoy, a response?" The host of the debate asks.

"That is a database of known felons, Mr. Shaw, not innocent people who might commit a crime. What people seem to forget is that if it weren't for evolution, we'd all be sitting in trees picking bugs from each other's hair…." Dr. Hank McCoy says.

"Turn that shit off, Lou." Laurio bellows sneering. Lou, the bartender, wipes a glass and turns off the TV.

"Got a lot on your mind…." A woman name Grace asks. Laurio turns finding the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. She's sitting on a stool nearby. He stares at her dumbfounded. "Mr. Laurio I presume?" She asks. She turns to him. Laurie smiles blearily and tries to shutter a response. "I'm Grace." She goes to sit next to him. "You look like you need another one of these." She said holding to mugs of beer. One of them is laced with a sleeping pill. She hands him the one laced with the sleeping pill.

"How do you know my name?" He asked taking a sip of the laced beer.

"You're Id badge." Grace said smiling. Laurio looked down at his uniform to see his id still hanging from the right breast pocket.

"Oh ha." Laurio said smiling. The two chatted for a moment before ending up in the bathroom. Both are kissing heatedly. "I never hooked up with a hooker before." He said as Grace slams him against the wall of a bathroom stall. "OOH you are strong." He said as he begins to fill woozy. Grace stares at him as he passes out. Grace then flips him over on his stomach. He's face down snoring into the toilet bowl. She pulls his pants down exposing his large clad boxers ass in the air. Graces removes a small case from her purse. She unzips it revealing a syringe filled with metallic liguid. She takes the needle, inpects it and squirts a little. In a flash, Graces changes into Mystique.

"Bottoms up." Mystique said as she jammed the syringe into Laurio's bottom.

Stryker walks down the hall of his headquarters. Behind him are a couple of his soldiers. They walk past an open door. Yuriko is tending to an unconscious Cyclops, fastening a metal band over his eyes. Stryker nods to her and keeps walking. He then turns a corner and opens a larger fortified door. Inside of this room sits Professor Xavier. He is bound to a common wheelchair. A high tech band is wrapped around his head. The room is dark and cramped, only a single door in front of him. Professor Xavier closes his eyes and tried to focus using his power to reach out when the head band buzzes and he jolts as a sharp pain fills his skull. Chuckling by the door, Stryker can't help but be amused at the feeble and frail looking man. Professor Xavier opens his eyes and sees Stryker watching him.

"I just had to see that work for myself. We call it the neural inhibitor. The more you think, the more it hurts." Stryker told his captive. He smiles and strolls further into the room. Stryker touches his head. "And it keeps you out of here." He said.

"William." Professor Xavier said.

"Please Xavier don't get up." Stryker said that as a bad joke. "I'm sorry we couldn't find you more comfortable quarters. My home is going through some renovations." He said pausing a moment. "So is yours."

"What have you done with Scott?" Professor Xavier asked.

"Oh he's here. With some of your students." Stryker said.

"There's no need to involve them." Professor Xavier said.

"I've seen your 'school', professor, with its combat training rooms and hi-tech defense systems. What on earth are you teaching those creatures?" Stryker asked with distain in his voice.

It takes every bit of Xavier's strength just to form a coherent thought.

"To survive. To peacefully co-exist in a world that fears them." Professor Xavier told him.

"It doesn't look very peaceful to me Xavier-Some species can never co-exist. I learned that from you." Stryker said to him.

"William, you wanted me to cure your son. But mutation is not a disease." Professor Xavier told him.

"You're lying, Xavier. You were more afraid of him than I was." Stryker told him yelling. "You know, just one year after Jason returned from your school, my wife…tormented by constant contact with him she took a power drill to her left temple in an attempt to bore out the images he was project into her mind." Stryker revealed to Xavier. He let it sink in for a moment. "My boy…the great illusionist."

The whole time Stryker was talking, Professor Xavier was thinking about the attack on the president. He realized that the attack was a set up to lure Xavier away from the institute. This was set up to get revenge on him and his students. While a clever plan, Stryker now had Professor Xavier where he wanted him. He had figured out part of Stryker's plan but knowing Stryker as well as he does, he had something else up his sleeve that involves Xaiver. What was he up to?

"You arranged the attack on the President." Professor Xavier said to him. Stryker smiles.

"And you didn't even have to read my mind." Stryker said to him. "You know, I've been working with mutants as long as you have, Xavier. And in all my years…research, the most frustrating thing I've learned is that nobody seems to know how many even exist…or how to find them…Except you." Stryker told him. And there was the real reason Stryker needed Professor Xavier. It was also the reason he arranged for the president to be attacked. He wanted the president to need his help. He got the president to sign off on his project so he could attack the Xavier institute as well as arranging to have Yuriko attack Cyclops subsequently kidnapping both himself and his mutant protégé. He holds up vial. "Unfortunately, this little potion won't work on you will it?" He asked. Stryker backs up and puts the vial back in his pocket. "No, you're too powerful for that. Instead, we'll go right to the source." He told him. The second soldier opens the door and another soldier wheels in another man. A grotesque shell of a man, shriveled and emaciated. Syringes and tubes run from his head, into a clear metal device on the back of his chair continuously collecting the yellow fluid from his spinal column. A g'liard named Lyman wheels the man into the room. Professor Xavier realizes that Stryker's potion isn't a drug but a chemical extracted from the unfortunate person in the wheelchair. "Allow me to introduce you to mutant 143." He said as Professor Xavier stares at the mutant's face. One of his eyes is bright blue while the other one is green. There's a giant scar running across his forehead.

"Jason." Professor Xavier said recognizing the man in front of him. "My god, William. This is your son…What have you done to him?" He asked.

Stryker looks at mutant 143, shaking his head.

"My son is dead." Stryker said as he and his soldiers turn and about to exit. "Just like the rest of you." He said and it becomes clear to Professor Xavier what Stryker wants to do. He wants the professor to eliminate all of the mutants on the planet. He slams the door shut leaving mutant 143 to stare at and into Professor Xavier.

Back on the Jet, the three women are trying to reach the professor, Scott or someone but are having trouble getting through.

"Professor." Storm said through the communicator. "Cyclops. Anyone there?" She asks but gets nothing but static. "Damn it." She said.

"What is going on?" Frost asked. Jean shrugs.

"I don't know but I've got a bad feeling about it." Jean told them. Storm put her fingers to the bridge of her nose. She was worried for the others including Logan. Jean and Frost heard her thoughts. "Don't worry Roh, he'll be fine." She told her. Storm looked over smiling.

"We'll figure out what's going on." Frost told them. They turn hearing Kurt praying. Storm gets up and goes over to him. She sits next to him.

"Hey, you ok?" She asked him.

"Yes thank you." Nightcrawler said to her.

"So what are they?" Storm asked referring to his tattoos.

"They're angelic symbols passed to me by my kind by the archangel Gabriel." Nightcrawler told her.

"They're very beautiful." Storm told him. "How many do you have?"

"One for every sin. So quite a few." He said smirking. Storm smirked. "You, Mrs. Summers and Mrs. Frost are school teachers?"

"Yes for people like us. Where we can feel safe." Storm told him.

"Safe from what?" Nightcrawler asked.

"From everyone else." Storm said to him.

"You know outside of the circus, most people were afraid of me. I didn't hate them. I pitied them." Nightcrawler told her. "Do you know why?" He asked. She shook her head. "Because most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes."

"I gave up on pity along time ago." Storm said.

"Someone so beautiful shouldn't be angry." Nightcrawler told her gently touching her face.

"Sometimes anger can help you survive." Storm told him.

"So can faith." Nightcrawler told her.

"Storm stop flirting with Kurt." Frost told her.

"What would Logan think?" Jean asked smirking. Storm gives them a stern look.

"Who's Logan?" Kurt asked.

"My boyfriend." Storm told him. Nightcrawler nods.

"I got a signal on the voice com." Frost told them.

Where?" Storm asked.

Alex's caravan stopped in front of the Drake residence. The home is an average looking house. Nothing out of the ordinary about it. Logan, Rion, Alex, Bobby, Rogue and John got out of the car and headed for the house. Bobby finds the spare key under the rug, puts the key in the door and heads into the house followed by the others.

"Don't burn anything." Bobby told John. John smirked.

"Ha-ha. Very funny." John said.

"I'll find us some clothes." Bobby said as they are still in their night clothes.

He found a white t-shirt for Logan, a Red Sox sweat shirt for Rion, A long sleeve shirt and jeans for Alex who was still in his pajamas, he found John a pair of black adidas pants and a grey long sleeved shirt and for Rogue he found a pair of black khakis and white blouse for her. Bobby went to his room and found some clothes he hadn't taken with him. He put on his long sleeve shirt and dark jeans. He found a pair of sneakers and put those on. He also found his grandmother's gloves and brought them up to the room Rogue's in. He averts his eyes to make to give her a little more privacy. Bobby hasn't seen much of her but a boy could use his imagination.

"I…I got you some gloves." Bobby told her.

"You didn't have to." Rogue said to him. Bobby shrugs. "Their beautiful."

"They were my grandmother's gloves." Bobby told her. Bobby leans into her. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

"I don't want to hurt you." Rogue told him.

"I can take it." Bobby said trying to man up. He wants so desperately to be closer to Rogue. Both lean in a share a small kiss then pull away.

"Wow!" Rogue said as she was able to absorb some of his abilities. She smiles as a small cloud of cold air escapes her mouth. Bobby hungrily leans in and kisses her deeply. Both moan enjoying the sensation of the kiss but it isn't long before the age lines appear across his face. He quickly pulls away breathing heavily. "I'm sorry." Rogue said to him. Bobby nods.

Alex and John finish dressing. John notices all the photographs of Bobby and his brother. Ronny is Bobby's younger brother. There's a family photo of Bobby his brother Ronny and their parents. He fingers the photos. He feels envious of Bobby. Alex comes up to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

"I understand what you're feeling." Alex told him.

"You have Mr. Summers. I have…" John said.

"You have a woman in Ororo who loves you like you were her own. You have an uncle who loves you as well. Just because they're not blood related doesn't mean that they're not family." Alex told him. John smiles. "Besides, we're your family to. Don't ever forget that." John nods.

Rion is in the kitchen with Logan. Logan goes into the fridge and pulls out two beers and hands one to Rion. Both click their beer bottles together and take a long sip. A cat jumps up on the counter startling Logan. He claws come out in front of the cat. Rion stares swallowing the beer. The cat licks Logan's claws. Both sigh and smile. Alex and John come into the kitchen.

The back door opens and in steps Steven and Madeline Drake with their teenage son Ronny. They're carrying shopping bags. Logan quickly retracts his claws. Both he and Rion stare at them. They see the four of them.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Steven Drake asked.

Logan and Rion didn't speak. Alex and John stare at them without uttering a word. The Drakes look over at them. Rion was grateful that they didn't recognize him. He still had yet to alert Ray to his whereabouts and wouldn't. At least not yet.

"Who are you guys?" Madeline Drake asked.

"Bobby!" Ronny Drake called to his brother. Bobby came rushing down the stairs with Rogue in tow. Madeline, Steven and Ronny move into the living room. Logan, Rion, Alex and John follow.

"Mom, Dad, Ronny. Hey." Bobby said nervously. He knew he'd have to someday tell them the truth.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school? Who are these people?" Madeline asked.

"These are professors Logan, Monroe, and Summers. And these are my classmates John and Marie." Bobby told them. Logan and the others were shocked. Rion figured Bobby hadn't told his folks about his mutation. Bobby looked around nervously. "We have to talk about something."

Two guards stand in the room by the door to the catwalk Laurio enters carrying a tray of food to bring to Magneto.

"What's that on your face Mitch?" Guard one asks.

"Sa-tisfaction." Laurio said smirking. The truth was, he didn't remember what happened between him and Grace. Guard one grimaces at the thought of it and opens door.

"You're clear." Guard one said.

Laurio moves down the catwalk with the tray of food. Magneto is in his cell pacing back and forth angrily thinking about Charles. He stops and looks at Laurio…Curiously.

"Have a nice sleep, Lenshur?" Laurio asks.

"There's something different about you, Mr. Laurio." Magneto said.

"Yeah, I was actually having a good day." Laurio said being a smart ass.

Magneto paces around Laurio like a hungry animal.

"No. No…It's not that." Magneto said to him.

"Sit down. You know the drill." Laurio said sounding tough.

"No." Magneto said.

Laurio withdraws his Billy club.

"Sit your ass down or I'll…" Laurio said.

Magneto holds out his hand. Laurio freezes and drops the club to the floor.

"What could it be?" Magneto asked.

"What's happening?" Laurio asks. He has no idea that Grace was actually a mutant named Mystique who had injected his dumb ass with metal in liquid form. Magneto has just sniffed it out like a rabid dog.

"Ahh. There it is." Magneto said. He slashes his hand in a sharp gesture and a fine mist of blood bursts from Laurio's entire body. "Too much iron in your blood. The red cloud falls away leaving the ultra –fine particles of metal hovering in the air. Magneto squeeze his hand into a fist and the metal compresses into 3 marble sized balls. Drops of blood ooze from each of them. They begin to move orbiting over Magneto's palm. "Mr. Laurio, never trust a beautiful woman, especially if she's interested in you." Magneto said. Laurio slumps to the ground. The balls smash the plastic walls. Alarms ring from every which way.

Faster than the eye can see, the balls whiz through the cell walls shattering the walls and security cameras. The cage holding the world's most dangerous mutant swiftly falls apart. The alarms blare loudly. Lights flash. Guards panic. Guard one hits a button and the cat walk retracts from Magneto's cell. Magneto watches the catwalk pull away revealing nothing below. He smiles. One of the balls glides to his feet and flattens to become a large, thin, silver disk. He steps on top it, hovering over the chasm. As the other two balls orbit around him, Magneto floats across the abyss, towards the plastic door on the other side. The guards behind it run for their lives.

Magneto's eyes narrow. The two balls orbiting around him suddenly shoots forward and shatter the door. Magneto continues to floats towards the other side. The plastic on the other side is ripped apart and Magneto floats right onto the surface on the silver disk. He smiles realizing he's free.

Back at the Drake residence, the family sits across from Bobby, Rogue and Alex. Rion, sits on the love seat while Logan stands in the kitchen entrance. John is leaning on the table by the picture frames. Ronny stares at the floor, unable to look at his brother. It's silent for a moment. A clock ticks. Bobby had already informed his parents that he was a mutant. They were in shock. Finally…

"So…when did you first know…that you were a…um…" Madeline asked.

"A mutant?" John asked. Madeline didn't like that word that's why she was having trouble saying it.

"You have to understand, we thought Bobby was going to a school for the gifted." Steven told them.

"He is gifted." Rion said.

"We know that. We just didn't realize how gifted he was." Steven stands up sighing. "I need to be honest here." He said surprising his wife and sons. "See, I've always known Bobby was…mutant." He revealed shocking his wife and sons. Hell everyone in the living room was shocked.

"Steven, you knew and didn't say anything?" Madeline asked.

"Dad how could you not say anything?" Ronny asked angered. He was pissed not because his brother is a mutant but that their father knew and didn't say anything.

"I didn't know what to say. I saw Bobby freeze his cereal one morning when he thought he was alone. I knew then but I wasn't going to turn him away. He's our son. I'm sorry I didn't say anything." Steven said looking apologetic.

"When Bobby left for the Xavier institute, we just thought he was going to a special school." Madeline said. "We didn't know."

"I figured it out long time ago." Steve told her. "I even spoke to Professor Xavier a couple of times asking about Bobby. He had a lot of nice things to say about you by the way." Steven said looking at Bobby who smiles. Madeline is surprised.

"So does this mean that you're ok with him being a mutant?" John asked.

"We love him no matter what." Madeline said.

"So what can you do Bobby?" Ronny asked. He was curious to see how talented his brother really was.

"Well uh I can freeze just about anything." Bobby said as he takes his finger and touches the coffee cup freezing the tea in it. They watch fascinated.

"Whoa!" Ronny said. "Cool!" He said.

"Now imagine that on a more grander scale." Rogue told them. They smile.

They all suddenly turn their attention to the Television.

"….In the wake of the assassination attempt on President McKenna, just weeks before his state of the Union address, there are unconfirmed reports of a raid on an underground mutant organization based in Westchester, New York. Everyone focused immensely on what the reporter was saying. "Authorities refuse to comment, but the surrounding area has been evacuated, and a manhunt for several fugitives from the facility is underway."

"How does one get the mutant gene?" Ronny asked.

"You have to be born with it. Actually, they've discovered that the males are the ones who carry the mutant genes and pass them onto their child." John told him.

"So that would mean that it was me who passed it onto Bobby but how come I don't have abilities or Ronny?" Steven asked.

"It may only be passed on to the first born. It skipped Ronny although he does himself like Bobby carry the gene both of you can pass it onto your children." Rion told them.

Bobby sighs relieved that his parents didn't hate or fear him. The communicator device beeps. Everyone stares wondering who that was. Rion forgot that he's got the device reaches into his pocket opens it.

"Hello." He said heading to the back door.

"Rion thank god…" Jean said on the device. Rion's face lights up.

Storm, Jean and Frost, are still on the jet. All three are in the cockpit of the jet. Nightcrawler is with them.

"Rion, where's Logan?" Storm asked.

"He's in the house." Rion told her.

"Put him on." She asked.

Logan appears behind Rion. Rion turns angrily and hands the device to Logan.

"My sister wants to talk to you." He said. Logan looked at him.

"Storm." Logan said to her.

"Are you guys are ok?" Storm asked.

"We're fine. You ladies ok?" Logan asked.

"We're fine." Storm told him. "We haven't been able to reach anyone at the mansion."

"No one's left." Logan told her.

"What do you mean Logan?" Jean asked chiming in. All three women are listening.

"Soldiers came…they took some of the kids. I'll explain when you pick us up." Logan said.

"We also haven't been able to reach the professor." Frost said.

"Or Scott." Jean said.

"Shit." Logan curses.

"Where are you?" Storm asks.

"In Boston at Bobby Drake's parent's house." Logan told her.

"Who's with you?" Frost asked.

"Uh, Alex, Rion, Bobby, Rogue, John and myself." Logan told them. He could hear them sighing over the device. Storm sighed thankful John and Logan were safe. She was secretly glad Rion was safe. Frost sighs for the same reason where Alex is concerned. Though she misses Scott, Jean is thankful they're all ok.

"Alright, we're on our way." Storm told him.

"And Storm?" Logan. "Hurry babe." He said.

"Ok." Storm said as they disconnect from other.

Logan goes back into the living room.

"They ok?" Alex asked.

"Yes." Logan told him.

"What do you guys teach at the institute?" Steven asked.

"I teach art." Logan told him. "Alex and Rion both teach martial arts."

"Wow." Steven said.

"Cool." Ronny said.

Rion sniffs the air. They watch him. Madeline and Steven think it's a bit odd that he's doing this but are fascinated by this. Rion moves towards the window and sniffs the air again. He frowns.

"Rion what is it?" Alex asked.

"We've got company." Rion told them.

"We need to go now!" Logan told them.

"Why?" Rogue asked.

"The police are here." Rion said.

"Who could've called them? We didn't." Steven asked. He got up off the couch and went to the window. He sees his neighbors peering out one of their windows. "The Donaldson lady called the police."

"Shit!" Alex said. "Guys, let's go." He said as John, Rogue and Bobby stood up.

"Mom, dad, Ronny. I promise everything will be ok." He said to them hugging them.

"Baby be safe ok?" Madeline asked.

"I will." Bobby told her.

"That goes for all of you. Please take care of my son." Steven said. Alex nods.

"Ronny, take care of mom and dad until I get back ok?" Bobby asked.

"You got it bro." Ronny said as they two embraced.

"Bobby!" Logan called to him.

"Ok." Bobby said as the six make their way out the front door. They are bombarded by the police.

Two cops step from each side of the porch their weapons drawn on the six. The Drake family got down behind the couch. Logan's claws come out.

"Get down on the ground. We don't want any trouble." Cop one said.

They silently advance on him.

"What's going on here?" Logan asked.

Bobby and Rogue are scared to death. Alex and Rion are both angered. John pensively flicks the lighter open and close….open and close.

"Put the knives down slowly." Swat cop one said.

"This is just a misunderstanding." Logan said trying to reason with him.

The Drake family watched the scene from behind the couch. They could see the cops advancing on the group.

"Drop the knives and put your palms on the ground. Now!" Swat cop one asks again.

"I can't do that." Logan tried to tell them and is shot in the head and goes down. Rogue screams. The kids stare devastated. Alex put his hands up angered ready to send concussion beams at the officers but Rion stops him. John looks back at the officers their guns is still smoking. The other cops step forward. People gather around to see the commotion. The other cops advance on them from either side. Rogue and Bobby slowly get down on their knees, their hands in the air. Alex and Rion followed. But John still stood up.

"John, get down." Rion told him. John frowned at him and turned back to the swat cops.

"We don't wanna hurt you, kid." Swat Cop two said.

"You know all those dangerous mutants you hear about on the news?" John said flicker the lighter open again. "I'm the worse one." He said as the flame from the lighter hovers over his hand. He quickly shoots into the streams onto the right. The other to the left. The swat cops are knocked back by the flames. John narrows his eyes and shoots streams of flames at the squad cars as they blow up before their very eyes. The cops scramble to get away from the carnage. Rogue thinking fast removes her glove from her left hand and grabs onto John's leg. She throws her other hand out in front of her trying to defuse the flames. The age lines appear on John's face weakening him. The fire is put out. Meanwhile the bullet that hit Logan dislodges from his skull and his eyes shoot open. The X Jet hovers over the yard. Logan, Rogue, John, Bobby, Rion and Alex all stand up.

"Come on." Alex said leading the way. The ramp is lowered to reveal Storm's white eyes as she is causing lots of wind. Alex, Rion, Rogue, John and Logan get into the jet. Bobby gives his parents one last glance before getting on the jet. Storm closes the hatchet and they take off.

"We're out." Storm said as Jean pushes the jet forward at full speed. The others are startled by Nightcrawler's presence.

"Alex." Frost said hugging him.

"Hey baby." Alex said hugging her back. The two kissed.

"Ma." John said hugging Storm. She hugged him back. She kissed his head.

"You ok?" She asked him.

"Yeah I'm fine." John told her. "You ok?" He asked her.

"Oh I'm fine honey." She said kissing his forehead. "Sit. Strap in." Storm told him. He does as he is told.

"You guys ok?" Storm asked Rogue and Bobby. They nod. "You ok?" She asked. Logan nods and pulls her into a kiss. It takes Storm a moment to catch up to him but she does. "MMM. We are definitely gonna talk later." She said smiling. Logan smiles kissing her again.

"Storm, need you up here." Jean said. Storm and Logan reluctantly let each other go. Storm goes back to her seat to help navigate the jet.

"Guten Morgan." Nightcrawler greeted Logan.

"Guten Abend. Who the hell are?" Logan asked.

"Kurt Wagner, but in the munich circus I was known as 'Incredible…" Nightcrawler starts to say but is cut off.

"Save it." Logan said a bit rudely. Nightcrawler felt a little bad. Logan did to. "Sorry. I'm Logan." He said as Kurt smiles nodding.

"Kurt..." Rion asked.

"Yes. And you are?" Nightcrawler asked.

"Orion Monroe. I go by the name Rion or Mystro." Rion said shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you. Monroe? Are you related to Ms. Monroe?" Nightcrawler asked.

"Yes. She's my sister." Rion told him. Nightcrawler nods. "They'll introduce themselves to you later." He said as Nightcrawler nods again.

Rion sat back in one of the seats fastening his seat belt. He wondered if anyone thought about his safety. He stares out the window feeling bad that his own sister didn't ask if he was ok. Hell Jean and Frost hadn't asked. Maybe they just didn't give a crap. That feeling of isolation overtakes him. Frost and Jean look back at Rion hearing his thoughts. Neither bothered to ask. What would happen with this situation?


	16. Flying The Not So Friendly Skies

X2

Chapter Sixteen: Flying The Not So Friendly Skies

Professor Xavier and mutant 143 sit staring at each other's eyes. The neural inhibitor buzzes wildly-something is happening in his mind. He grits his teeth, bearing the pain. Then, mutant 143 moves. His hands slowly teach for Professor Xavier's throat, as if to choke him. Professor Xavier continues to stare deeply at mutant 143's blue and green eyes. The inhibitor continues to buzz. Professor Xavier grips his chair straining.

"A little closer..." Professor Xavier mumbles.

"A little closer..." Mutant 143 repeats mumbling.

Mutant 143 tenderly lifts the inhibitor from Professor Xavier's head. Both men exhale with relief. The pain is gone...

"Thank you Jason." Professor Xavier said.

"Thank you Jason." Mutant 143 repeats.

Xavier reaches up and caresses mutant 143's cheek, releasing him. Mutant 143 is relaxes his face still a blank slate.

Outside of the room holding Professor Xavier and mutant 143, two soldiers Lyman and Moss stand guard.

"Mr. Lyman..." Professor Xavier calls to the soldier whispering. Lyman cocks his head listening. His eyes fall into a trance.

"Dave, you alright?" Moss asks.

"Would you please open the door, Mr. Lyman." Professor Xavier asked. Moss suddenly falls into the same trance. He stands frozen as Lyman turns and slides a security card into the slot. The door slides open to reveal Professor Xavier on the other side. "Tell me, what's the fastest way out of here?"

"The helicopter." Lyman told him.

"Can either of you fly a plane?" Professor Xavier asked. Neither of them said anything. Professor Xavier smiles. "You'll learn." As if sleepwalking, Lyman steps behind Professor Xavier and begins pushing him into the chair. Moss stares frozen at the wall.

On the jet, it's pretty quiet. The late afternoon skies zoom by slowly as the jet passes them in the air. Storm and Jean are at the controls. Logan is sitting in the seat behind Storm. Frost is in the seat across from him. Alex is in the seat behind her with Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Rion in the other three seats. John is seated behind Logan with Bobby behind him.

"Why did you do that Johnny?" Bobby asked him.

"Do what?" John asked.

"You know what." Bobby told him.

"You could've killed those cops." Rogue told him.

"I was just trying to scare them." John told them.

"Well it was working." Bobby commented.

"Hey, I had Logan's back, especially since he was shot in the head." John reveled.

"You were what?!" Storm asked reacting to what she's just heard.

"Shot!" Frost asked.

"Oh my god!" Jean exclaimed all concerned for him.

"Are you ok?" Nightcrawler asked.

"I'm fine. I appreciate you having my back Johnny but I'm ok. I've got a headache the size of Texas but it'll pass." Logan told them.

"You still could've killed someone John." Rion told him.

"You know what, why don't you go fight someone in the UFC and leave me alone." John said angrily. He was pissed because Rion made him do laps and pushups. The truth was John missed his uncle when he wasn't there all the time. He simply wanted his uncle to be there for him all the time.

"You've been acting like a punk lately giving me attitude, the hell is wrong with you?" Rion asked angrily.

"You're one to talk. You've been giving everyone the silent treatment and when we ask if you're ok you say 'I'm fine.'" Frost said.

"That's because I am fine." Rion told her.

"That's bullshit and you know it." Jean said. Rion shook his head not responding. He felt a little ganged up on so he stayed quiet.

"Enough, now's not the time for that." Logan told them.

"Logan's right. We need to focus on finding the professor, Scott and the kids." Storm told them. Everyone was silent. Tired of the silence, Logan gets out of his seat and heads over to the cockpit.

"How far are we?" He asks.

"We're coming up on the mansion now." Jean told him.

A monitor suddenly displays two fast moving red blips.

"We've got two signals coming in fast." Storm said. Logan went back to his desk and fastened his seatbelt.

Two F16 fighters roar through the clouds, coming up behind the X-jet. They each fire a missile.

The kids are wide eyed and alarmed.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Bobby asked.

"Everybody hang on." Storm said as everyone fastened their seatbelts.

The jet banks hard and barrel rolls just barely dodging the exploding missiles. The fighter jets are still on their tail.

The kids are trying not to panic. Nightcrawler pushes his feet up into the chair. John sweats hard.

"Don't we have weapons in this heap?" Logan asked.

Jean glances at Storm. Storm nods. Her eyes go white.

Rumbling dark clouds begins to form of the X-Jet. Lightning flashes. They head straight into the eye of the growing storm, F16's right behind.

"Whispering clouds begin to swirl, faster and faster, twisting into long thin funnels. One forms and another until the sky is filled with a dozen of roaring tornadoes. They wither like giant serpents, allowing the X-Jet to pass between them...

The F16s aren't as lucky-they dart and weave trying avoid Storm's wrath.

The fighter pilot has a lock on the X-Jet. He's about to pull the trigger when...Boom! Two tornadoes slam into the F16 from above and below. It's yanked up and hurled across the sky, tumbling like toy. The pilot ejects.

The remaining fighter successfully swerves around the funnel clouds, still in pursuit.

Jean and Frost look at the bleeping radar screen, then nervously to Storm. Storm is getting angrier by the second and her funnels show this.

The remaining F16 banks and rolls, avoiding the tornadoes, quickly gaining on the X-Jet.

Suddenly, the clouds around the F16 begin to swirl...until it's completely encased in a long dark tunnel-tornado stretching across the sky.

The F16 begins to roll wildly inside the tornado, losing control but manages to fire two missiles just before the tornado bends and hurls the F16 to the ground.

The Pilot ejects but the missiles continue on their easily passing through the Storm.

Jean stares at the radar screen. She sees two blips rushing towards them.

"Can you stop them?" Storm asks.

"I'll try." Jean told her. Jean concentrates hard. Storm yanks the stick back. Frost senses Jean concentrating and needing help. She concentrates helping Jean to destroy the first missile. Both try to destroy the bomb.

The X-Jet's wings fold up as it flies faster out of the Storm, the tornadoes dissipating.

"Jean! Frost!" Storm said as both women try concentrating hard but it isn't easy. Rion seizes this opportunity to speak.

"Let me help." Rion offered. Neither woman wanted him to help. They didn't say anything. Rion frowned hard. Why had they shut him out?

Jean and Frost concentrate harder but their eyes close at the same time unable to destroy the last missile. The X-men wait. On the radar the second missile is getting closer. Jean and Frost open their eyes.

"No." Frost exclaims.

"Oh god!" Jean said terrified.

Boom! The missile explodes causing the X-Jet to disappear in the smoke clouds of the fire.

A large hole is blown in the back of the jet. It decompresses-Everyone's screams are drowned by shrieking wind.

Rogue who hadn't had her seatbelt on is being pulled backwards screaming.

"ROGUE!" Bobby screams for her grabbing onto her glove but she is sucked out if the jet.

BAMF! Nightcrawler teleports outside it then X-Jet, grabs onto Rogue and BAMF! Teleports back onto the X-Jet.

In the cockpit, Storm and Jean work the controls, trying to stabilize the jet. Through the windshield, the earth rises to meet them with dizzy speed. Storm strains trying to pull out of the nosedive the jet is heading. Is this how they'd all die? She hadn't even got the chance to be with Logan. How could it end like this?

The altimeter shows their descent-3000 feet, 2500 feet, 2000 feet...

Jean's hand reaches over and grabs Storms. Frost turns to Alex. Their eyes meet. She feels a tear form in her eyes. Alex whispers the words _I love you. _Frost whispers the same words. Logan takes his hands and places the on Storm's shoulders. Nightcrawler still has a hold of Rogue fearing that if he let her go, she'd fall out again. The plane is getting lower. John is scared to death. Storm closes her eyes. This is it. The end...but...

Nightcrawler notices something out of the corner of his eyes.

"Uh, Miss Storm?" Nightcrawler.

Storm turns...Nightcrawler is pointing at the hole in the back of the Jet which is bending and twisting, slowly repairing its self. The screaming wind does down to a whistle as the hole close completely.

Then, the falling jet begins to slow. Their speed drops from 80 knots to 70...60...

Jean stares at the controls, shaking her head. She's just stunned. Frost and Alex share confused looks. 15 knots..10..5...then the ground is getting closer.

The mutants stare at each other, confused. Rion looked around knowing it wasn't him. Moments ago he thought he'd die and would never get to have a decent sibling relationship with his sister, he'd never get to know why his nephew is pissed at him. He'd never tell the others how he feels.

With a slight jolt...they stop.

The mutants stare at each other confused, shocked and utterly dumbfounded. They look out the windshield and below them a quiet road with a black town car nearby.

The X-Jet hovers in the air, nose down, holding it in place with an outstretched hand. Mystique is next to the man causing the jet to hover. The man is none other than Magneto.

"Ah. It's the X-Men, right on time. When will they ever learn to fly?" Magneto asked with a sneer. Mystique smirks.


	17. Resting For The Night

X2

Chapter Seveteen: Resting For The Night

The jet sits in a clearing bordered on three sides nearby a high stone cliff. A few yards away is a small scattered camp site. On tent is for Bobby, Rogue and John. Another tent is for Alex and Emma. There's a tent for Logan who no doubt would want Ororo with him. Another tent was for Jean. There's a smaller tent for Rion a one smaller tent was for Magneto and Mystique. Emma, Jean and Ororo had changed into their regular clothes.

Emma had found the compartment that contained food in it. She handed out juice boxes and chips to the teens first, then Logan, Ororo, Jean, Rion, Alex and Kurt. Magneto and Mystique chose not to eat. Above them is a thick fog that acts as cover for them obscuring any vision of their activities.

Ororo had begun working on the jet. Logan watched from a distance. She looked so sexy to him. He had no idea she knew how to fix jets. Hell he had no idea that she was good with her hands...well not like fixing stuff anyway. He smirked thinking about all the dirty stuff she would do to him with her hands. The thought made his cock hard. Emma caught his thoughts. She goes up behind her.

"Stop eye humping her. Now's not the time for that." She told him smirking.

"I wasn't..." Logan was about to say. "Well when?" He asked. This was the first time since he'd been back that he'd have a chance to be alone with his woman.

"Later." She told him walking away. Logan watched her and frowned.

"Damn." He mutters to himself. He walks over to her. Jean comes down the ramp seeing her. She seems noticeably distraught. A thought had occurred to Logan. Rion could fix the jet after all he is a technopath.

"How bad is it?" Logan asked.

"We're running fluids through the hydraulics. If the test passes, it'll take four of five hours to get off the ground." Jean told him.

"That's not exactly what I met but ok." He said as Jean sighs smirking.

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Scott." Jean said to him. "I know Alex is worried for his brother. He's the only family he has left."

"Not true. He has you and Emma. He has us." Logan told her. Jean smiles at the sentiment. "Look, we're all worried for Scott and the professor and the kids. We will save them. I promise." He told her. Emma sends Jean a telepathic message telling her to let Logan that they'd be meeting in ten minutes.

"Emma says we're meeting in ten minutes." Jean told him. Logan nods. She turns to see Ororo sitting up from the jet. Jean nudges Logan forward. He turns and heads for Ororo. She turns and heads towards the camp site.

"Need a hand?" Logan asked extending his hand to his girlfriend. Ororo smirks and takes his hand in hers as he helps her up to her feet.

"Thanks." She said to him.

"You're welcome." He said smiling at her. "Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't your brother a technopath?"

"Yes." She answered looking away. She really didn't want to talk about him right now.

"Can't he fix the jet?" Logan asked.

"Yes but Jean and I can handle it." Ororo told him. He stared at her realizing she was a proud woman who didn't need a man to help her let alone her own flesh and blood. She wouldn't ask for Rion's help.

"You ok?" He asked her.

"Well with the exception of missing the professor, Scott, the children, you getting shot and us not being able to go home, I'm peachy." She said sarcastically. Logan wraps his arms around her waist pulling her close. She wraps her hands around his neck. He leans his forehead onto hers. She smiles at the warm sentiment.

"I promise you, we are going to save the professor, Scott and the missing children. We are going to get through this. We're meeting in a few minutes. Find out what we're up against. We're going to get through this. Ok?" He asked her. She nods. She smiles at him loving his optimism. Both lean into each other and kiss deeply. It'd been awhile since he got to kiss those lips and it felt so good. Even though he knew it couldn't go any further then kissing at that moment, he'd wait for the day he could make love to her again. Right now this mission was of the utmost importance.

John, Rogue and Bobby are sitting on big tree trucks around a camp fire John had made with his lighter. With them are Jean, Emma, and Alex. Magneto and Mystique sit across from them. Rion leans on the tree nearby. Kurt is up in the tree. Rogue could tell John was thinking about Kitty.

"You thinking about Kitty?" She asked him. He nods. "She got out with Peter, Jubs and the others. "They're ok." Rogue told him. Bobby could see the look of worry on his face.

"Do you think she's worried about me?" John asked.

"Of course bro, I know she's probably chewing Jub's ear off talking about you." Bobby told him. John smiles at that comment.

"Thanks man." John said to him. Bobby smiles. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"No worries bro." He said as he and John gave each other a fist pump.

"You know Scott is going to be ok right?" Emma asked Jean. She had been listening to Jean's thoughts for the last ten minutes. She could tell her friend has been worried for her husband.

"Yeah but I can't help but worry for him." Jean told her.

"He still doesn't know?" Emma asked?

"I haven't gotten the chance to tell him." Jean sighed. She still hadn't told Scott that she was pregnant with their child, mainly because she was scared of his reaction. "I swear if something happens to him I don't know if I could raise a child as a single parent."

"That's not going to happen." Emma said putting her hands around her friend's shoulders. Jean's head drops. She's truly worried that something bad has happened to her husband. "He's going to be fine. We're going to bring him back home along with the professor and the kids. Ok?" Emma asks as Jean nods. She lets a tear slip down her face. "Come here." Emma said as Jean lays her head onto her shoulder.

"Jean listen my bro is going to be so happy for you. He's always talked about having kids with you so this will just be his dream come true. It'll be fine. He's going to love being a dad." Alex told her. Jean gives him a weak smile.

Rion frowned hard. The woman he's loved since his youth is carrying a child of her own by the X-Men leader. It was bad enough that she married him now they were bringing a child into the world. He shook his head. He'd never have her now. Rion shut his thoughts off.

Logan and Ororo make their way back to the campfire. Everyone smirked watching the pair. They thought Logan and Ororo might have gotten in a quickie but both were still dressed. They were holding hands. Logan let Ororo sit on the tree bark first before sitting down next to her.

"Ok let's get this meeting started." He said to them.

Magneto had waited patiently for Logan and Ororo to show up. Seeing them all together made him realize they aren't just a team but treated each other like family. He felt a little jealous but under stead that his and Charles' ideas of mutant acceptance was different. They certainly went about trying to prove it differently.

"The person responsible for this whole mess is a man name William Striker." Magneto told them.

"What does he want?" Ororo asked.

"That's exactly the same thing we should be asking him?" Logan said.

"Oh this is going to be a long conversation." Magneto said sighing shaking his head.

"So, what is it? What do you want?" Logan asked.

"When Stryker invaded your mansion, he stole an essential piece of its hardware." Magneto told them.

"Cerebro." Ororo said aloud.

"Charles and I built cerebro as a tool I believed would reunite us all. But the good professor, as with all things never truly explored its full potential." Magneto told them. The group listens carefully. Logan is getting pissed off. "In the wrong hands, I fear it could be used as a powerful weapon against mutants."

"But Stryker would need the professor to operate the machine." Jean said.

"That's why he's still alive." Alex adds.

"What would Stryker want with Scott and the kids he kidnapped?" Emma asked.

"Stryker would probably experiment on them." Magneto said as that last part got Logan's attention. "When he's got what he's needed, he'd kill them." Magneto said as Jean frowned sadly. Emma instinctively put her arms around her shoulders.

"How would Stryker know where to find cerebro?" Ororo asked.

Magneto pauses a moment. He rubs the back of his neck which still houses the mark put there by Stryker while he was in prison. Magneto seems embarrassed, resigned and boiling with anger.

"Because I told him." He finally says. Everyone frowns hard. "Stryker has undeniable methods of... Persuasion-even against a mutant as strong as Charles." Magneto explains

"Please understand if we don't take it all in good faith but what do you need with us?" Ororo asked her question have some validity. No one there trusted Magneto or Mystique for that matter. Logan and Alex still loathe the bitch, Logan more so than Alex.

"Stryke has a base he's been operating out of for decades...I don't know where it is." Magneto told them. "But I suspect one do you do." He adds.

"Who the hell is this Stryker anyway?" Logan asked. He didn't remember but he had dealt with Stryker a long time ago.

"Are you sure you don't remember Logan?" Magneto asked. Everyone turned their attention to Logan who looks confused. "The metal in your bones carries his signature."

Logan stares -the realization floods through his body. Magneto looks to Jean who looks back.

"But the professor tried to..." Logan tried this say.

"No he didn't. He's always known." Magneto revealed. This angered Logan the betrayal written all over his face. Ororo took his hand in hers. Logan looks away angered and hurt. She instinctively squeezes his hand to comfort him. She knew the professor longer than Logan had and knew he wouldn't purposely betray someone.

Logan turns to Jean to see if she'd look into his head but she shakes her head no.

"I can't. If those are memories exist, they're buried deep." Jean told him.

"Emma, can you try." Logan asked desperately.

"Logan, you memories are probably buried too deep for either of us to go digging. It could disrupt new memories." Rion said speaking up for the first time all evening. "It has to come from someone whose memories are fresh."

"Rion no one asked you." Ororo told him.

"I was simply trying to help." Rion told her.

"No one asked you're for your help." Ororo yelled. The others rolled their eyes having heard these arguments before. The only ones who hadn't heard the Monroe sibling arguments were Magneto, Mystique and Kurt. Kurt heard a little on the jet but not like this.

"I'm so sick of you ripping on me for nothing. I don't know what the hell I did to piss you off!" Rion said raising his voice.

"You exist!"Ororo yelled back angrily. Rion didn't say anything. He just stared at her and realized why she hated him so much.

"My existence reminds you of mom and dad's death. Doesn't it?" He asked her the hurt obvious in his voice.

"Yeah that's right. It shouldn't have been them. You should've died that night." Ororo said then regretting her words. She put her hands to her mouth feeling guilty. Everyone watched the scene and was shocked. Rion has a hurt look on his face. The hurt turned to anger and he just turns away heading for the jet. "Rion I'm sorry." She tried to say but he was already walking away. Logan puts his arm around Ororo's shoulder. Even John had felt bad for Rion. He knew that one hurt him deeply.

"Roh!" Emma scolds her.

"I didn't mean it." Ororo said. She hadn't met to hurt Rion like that. She was still hurting over the loss of their parents. She hadn't grieved like she needed to and it was coming out as anger directed at the only living member of her family...Rion.

"Well that was entertaining." Mystique said smirking as the group stares at her glaring. She didn't care.

"I believe one you have been to the base before." Magneto said. "Other than Logan that is."

"Who else is there?" Alex asked. Magneto looks up to the sky but is staring at the mutant in the tree branch. Everyone follows his eyes and spots Nightcrwaler hanging by his tail.

"Hello." Kurt said.

"Kurt, come down here. We need your help." Emma said.

"Ok." Kurt said then...BAMF! He appears in front of them.

"Em, you do it. I'm exhausted." Jean told her. Emma nods.

Emma gets up and goes over to Kurt. She kneels down in front of him.

"Ok, Kurt relax I'm going to read your mind." Emma tells him he nods. Emma takes her left hand and places it on his left temple. Jean uses both hands while Emma uses one. Rion doesn't use his hands unless he is erasing someone's memory. A flash is shown of a military base. Kurt is taken to a small room. He is subdued after having been attacked by several military men. He's unconscious. He's tied to a chair where he's injected with a green substance and is given orders...the memories become too much for Kurt but Emma hangs on a bit longer seeing him carry out the order attacking the president. Kurt groans as Emma pulls away. Kurt breathes heavily. "Stryker's base is at Alkali Lake." She tells them having seen Kurt leave the base and seeing the sign outside.

"I was there. There's nothing left." Logan told her.

"Nothing on the surface. The base is underground." Emma told him. Logan at them confused. Had he gone inside, he might've gotten the answers he was looking for.

"Shit!" Logan said. "Why hadn't the professor told me this?" He asked angrily.

"He had hoped you'd discover this on your own. He gives you more credit than I do." Magneto answers. Logan growls at him. Magneto's eyebrows shoot up.

Bobby and Rogue had decided to go to sleep. John wasn't tired. He sees Logan off by himself and decided to speak with him.

"Hey." John said going over to them.

"Hey. Can't sleep?" Logan asked.

"No. How's my mom?" John asked.

"She just needs a little space but she's fine." Logan told him. John nods. He begins throwing imaginary punches in the air. Logan watches him a moment. Had anyone gone to check up on Rion? He decided to ask him. "I couldn't help but notice that you've been at odds with Rion."

"So." John said.

"Do you hate him?" Logan asked.

"No. I just wish he was around more. I don't mean to be a dick to him. It's just that it always seems he's got some fight and goes away for a while." John told him. "I wish he would retire and stick around to teach full time."

"You miss him when he's gone?" Logan asked. John nods. "So why not tell him?"

"I don't know because I'm still mad at him." John said to him still throwing his imaginary punches. Logan watched him realizing he is leading with the wrong hand.

"Are you left handed or right handed?" He asked.

"I'm right handed." John told him.

"Ok lead with your left hand. Here let me show you." Logan told him then getting into a fighting stance. "You lead with your weaker side so you be able generate more strength with you power hand so that the blow will do more damage. Let me see it." Logan asked as John gets into a fighting stance. Logan nods. "Ok, bend your legs more and spread them out." John does as he is instructed by Logan who is showing him how to get into the proper fighting stand. He wasn't at that stage yet with Rion. He throws his hands up so John could strike them. "Good, good. This time, jab with the left hand and then one big blow with the right one." He told him. John does exactly that. He throws three straight jabs using his left hand and one big punch using his right hand. "Nice!" He said smiling as John smiled high fiving Logan.

Neither realized Ororo had been watching from a distance. She smiled watching Logan show John some moves. A lot of John's training coming at the hands of Rion. She felt bad that she said what she said to him. She knew it hurt him deeply. She just couldn't bring herself to tell him why she was acting this way.

Rion had stopped working on the jet to watch Logan with John and felt hurt. Like Ororo, John had been acting like a complete dick to him and he didn't know why. Feeling dejected, he went onto the jet and sat down in one of the chairs.

Kurt saw Mystique sitting alone by herself thinking about the plan. She felt him staring at her but didn't say anything. She was use to it.

"They say you can mimick other appearances. Even their voices." Kurt asked her.

"Even their voices." Mystique repeats using his voice. Kurt is fascinated by the blue beauty.

"Then why not be like everyone else?" He asked her.

"Because we shouldn't have to." Mystique told him. She had a point.

Alex goes onto the ramp of the jet. He finds Rion sitting in one of the chairs leaning forward. He felt so bad for his sensei. Rion is a good guy and doesn't deserve the crap he takes from Ororo on a daily basis. He wondered why Rion hadn't left a long time ago. He figured Rion wasn't that kind of guy. He wasn't the kind of guy who only stuck around when things were good. He knew things aren't good between he and Ororo but wanted to find a common ground with her, a starting point where the two could build their sibling relationship. Ororo wasn't trying at all. Alex suspected that she was still going through her issues where her parents were concerned and hadn't quite grieved yet. Don't need to be a telepath to see that. He decided it was high time he talked to his sensei.

"Hey." Alex said to him. Rion didn't budge. In fact he didn't even look over at him. Alex sighs before going over and sitting in the chair opposite Rion. "Listen Rion, I know that you're not fine. You keep saying that you are but I know you're not. Ever since Jean and Scott's wedding you've been distant and whenever we talk to you we get these one word senses. I'm no telepath but I don't have to be to know that you're hurting." He said as Rion stared straight ahead not responding. "I know what Roh said back there hurt you deeply but she didn't mean it. I see you all alone and I know you're not yourself. It scares the hell out of me."

"She's been on my ass since day one. I don't know what I did to piss her off but she hates me and doesn't want me around." Rion tells him angrily.

"Man she doesn't mean any of that." Alex told him.

"Then why day it?" Rion asked angrily.

"Because whatever she is going through she isn't dealing with and it's coming out directed at you." Alex told him.

"She wishes I had died that night Alex!" Rion yelled. Alex could see the hurt in his face. "She literally wishes I was dead. That shit hurts so much. You have no idea."

"She didn't mean what she said. I promise you she didn't mean to say that." Alex said as he turns away from him.

"Well I tell you what, she doesn't want me around I'll give her what she wants I can promise you that. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone." Rion told him turning away from him.

"Dude, your issues with Ororo is between the two of you. I'm concerned about you because you don't seem like yourself and like I said it scares the hell out of me." Alex told him.

"What are you talking about?" Rion asked.

"You know that since the wedding you've been distant. Even with me. I don't like that one bit." Alex told him frowning.

"Since when the hell do you or the others care about me? At least Roh's feelings are obvious to me." Rion told him.

"What are you saying?" Alex asked him.

"You know exactly what I'm saying. You guys pretend to be there for me but then when I want to help you guys out you push me away. You treat me like that ten years old boy that showed up to the institute all those years ago, that same boy who felt isolated!" Rion yelled. Alex's expression changed. He realizes that Rion felt alone the way he did growing up.

"Dude, we never met to isolate you. I've always had your back and you know that. Emma, Jean, Scott, we've always been there for you. That won't change. As far as the wedding was concerned, we had a lot of that planned months in advance, even while you were away. Leaving you out wasn't a personal attack on you bro. So I'm sorry you thought that was intentional but it wasn't. I promise you that." Alex said sincerely.

"I just need to be alone right now." Rion told him.

Alex nods before leaving the jet. Rion frowns hard but his heart aches badly. Right now all he wants is to be alone.

After his semi training session with John, Logan decided to head to his tent. John had gotten tired and went into the tent with Bobby and Rogue. Logan opens the tent and sees Ororo lying down. He smirked wondering if she was up for a little foreplay. He climbs into the tent and closes the zipper. Ororo popped her head up.

"Hey didn't mean to wake you." Logan said. He didn't really think she was sleep.

"I wasn't sleep." Ororo said. "I can't sleep." Logan sits down next to her. Ororo sits up. "I've never met to say what I said to him." She said. Logan doesn't respond. He doesn't really know what to say. "Logan."

"Yeah babe." Logan asked.

"Do you think I'm a bitch for what I said to Rion?" She asked him. He turns over to her. She turns to face him.

"I think you're hurt over losing your parents all those years ago. I don't think you've grieved the way you should've and Rion's presence presents you with the opportunity to do just that. What you said hurt him deeply. I don't think you're a bitch at all." He said to her. She looked at him solemnly. "You wanna tell me what happened?" He asked her. She shook her head no. She really didn't want to relive that night. "Come on it might help." He told her.

"It happened so long ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was there after all. I remember my dad taking my mother and I to Japan on a business trip. We were on our way back the hotel from some event. Dad loss control of the car and it spun around. I was so scared." Ororo told him.

"How old were you?" Logan asked her.

"I was eight at the time. My mother was nine month pregnant with Rion. I don't know why my dad brought us out his there. I would've preferred to stay home in Africa. The car finally stopped and we all sighed. Our relief however brief it might have been was short lived. Another car slammed into ours from behind. Our car goes tumbling over the cliff until it hit a ditch." Ororo said as the tears pores down her face as she relieves the moment of her parents death. "When I came to, I found out my father had died. The doctors could save my mother but they saved my baby brother. I...uh was taken in by family but I eventually ended up the Xavier Institute. When I was eighteen, I found out my brother Rion was alive and that the professor was bringing him to the mansion. I don't know what it is but when I met him I didn't like him right off the bet. I don't know why but I just didn't like him." Ororo said.

"Because you took one look at him it brought you back to that night." Logan told her.

"I'm angry Logan, I'm angry because my father should've known not take me or mom to Japan. She was nine months pregnant for crisis sakes. If he hadn't...if hadn't taken us with him, they might still be alive. Mom might still be alive." Ororo said sobbing. Logan looked at her feeling so bad for her. "I miss them so much." She said sobbing. Logan pulls her into him as she cried. He kisses her head. It suddenly got cold outside.

"I'm so sorry baby." Logan said comforting her. "I'm so sorry." He said. Ororo climbs into his lap wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she continues to sob. Logan held onto her allowing her the time she needed to sob.

Emma and Jean knew Ororo must've been crying because the weather changes with her mood. Logan held her as she sobbed for about twenty more minutes. Ororo eventually fell asleep in Logan's arms. He laid her down on the sleeping bag then laid next to her. Ororo leans onto his chest. Logan pulls her closer and the covering them both up with the blanket. He knew she hadn't met to hurt Rion. She needed to grieve properly and when she's able to do that, she and Rion would have a better relationship. She needed this for it was a start of her grieving process. He'd be there to comfort her. No matter how long she needed. He'd be there.


	18. The Plan

X2

Chapter Eighteen: The Plan

The next morning, everyone was up and ready to tackle this mission. Bobby, John and Rogue had gathered up all the tents and put them back in the jet's compartment. Rion had completely fixed the jet. Everyone gathers on the jet. First the teens, then Alex and Emma. Magneto and Mystique followed. Kurt is behind them followed by Jean, then Ororo and finally Logan. Storm looks over at Rion who has his back to her. She realizes that he fixed the jet while everyone slept. She felt bad about what she said. Jean and Emma gently rub her shoulder. They knew she felt sorry for hurting him.

"_Rion, I'm so sorry for what I said. You're my brother and I love you. I don't hate you either. Please forgive me." _Ororo thought. Jean and Emma caught her thoughts and gently hugged her.

"Don't worry, he heard your thoughts." Jean whispers to her. Ororo nods.

"You ok?" Logan asked her whispering.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thank you for last night." Ororo told him smiling.

"Anytime baby." Logan said leaning and kissing her lips.

"Let's suit up." Emma said as she, Alex, Jean, Ororo, Logan and Rion all suited up into their official X-Men gear. All attached the communicator device to their ears. From this point on they'll be using their X-Names.

"Mystro, do you want to take flight?" Frost asked. He nods leaving the jet. "When we touch down come back on the jet." She tells him.

"Copy that." Mystro said solemnly. Mystro takes flight. The jet lifts off the ground into the orange morning sky. Storm watched him.

"Here where's ours?" Bobby asks.

"On order. Should arrive in a few years." Logan told them.

"John, come here honey." Storm asks. He goes over to her.

"Yeah ma." John asks.

"After we touch down and go in, you're in charge. If something happens to us…Use the ascension control to get the plane off the ground. Do not try to control the plane while it's in the air. The auto navigation system will fly you home. Ok?" Storm asks him. John doesn't respond. Fear is written all over his face. She sees this. "What's wrong?"

"What if you and uncle Rye don't come back? Who will I have? Ma, please don't…" John said as Storm puts her finger to his mouth.

"SHHH. It's gonna be ok." Storm told him. She could see the worry in his face.

"Ma." John said almost whining.

"Baby listen to me, we're going to be fine. I want you, Rogue and Bobby safe in case something happens. That doesn't mean something will ok?" He nods. She pulls him into a hug. "I promise everything will be ok." John nods. He seems to believe her. He knew Storm is capable of handling herself. He was just worried. She knew this. She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead which seemed to lighten the mood because she smiled and so did he.

"What happens to us if you guys don't…" Bobby said as they all fell silent for a moment.

"You've all got superpowers. Figure it out." Logan told him. John sits down on the seat a few yards away from Magneto.

John watched Magento a moment. He knew that he was a powerful and dangerous mutant. He had only heard about Magneto but didn't get the chance to see him up close. He even thought Magneto is three times his age, John knew he was a threat. John didn't exactly agree with his methods but knew he had some truth to it.

"They say you're the bad guy." John tells him.

"Is that what they say?" Magneto asked a little amused.

"That's a dorky looking helmet. What's it for?" John asked.

"This dorky looking helmet is the only thing that's going to protect me…from the real bad guy." Magneto said. This was met for Charles. "What's your name?"

"John Monroe." John said.

"What's your real name John?" Magneto asked. John thought about it for a moment flicking the lighter back and forth and realized what he met.

"Pyro." John finally answers.

"That's quite a talent you have, Pyro." Magneto told him.

"I can only manipulate it. I can't make it." John told him.

"You're a god amongst insects. Don't let anyone tell you different." Magneto told him. John thought about that for a moment. His mother had always taught him that though he is special, his powers should always be used to help not hurt. Though he understood where Magneto was coming from. He also understood what Professor Xavier taught as well. He was a bit conflicted but would stay be his mother's side.

Stryker sits on the edge of a chair at his base bouncing a baseball against the wall. Catching it and bouncing it again. Yuriko watches the monitors turning from one to the other. Each displaying a shot of the children.

"Why keep the children here, if they're just going to die?" Yuriko asks.

"Why? So we can make sure that it's working." Stryker told her.

The helicopter lands on the front yard of the mansion. Lyman emerges, and lowers Professor Xavier to the ground. Professor seems to be aware that he is trapped in an illusion. None of what he's experiencing is real.

Illusion

"_This is your home?" Lyman asked._

"_Yes it is." Professor Xavier responds looking around. "Mr. Lyman, would you please stay here and alert me if anyone shows up?" He nods and climbs back into the helicopter. Jason was showing the illusion of him standing. Professor Xavier has spent the better part of thirty years in a wheelchair. It felt great to stand up. He let a tear fall down his face._"Jason, stop it!" Professor Xavier yells. He's still trapped in the Illusion.

_In the illusion, he sees a little girl hiding behind a chair. "It's ok."_

"_Are they gone now?" The little girl asks._

"_Yes." Professor Xavier told the child._

"_Can we find them?" The little girl asks._

"_We'll find them. We can use cerebro." Professor Xavier taking the little girl's hand and guiding her away from his office." _

The X-Jet circles high above the cliff. Alkali Lake sits a good thirty feet away from the Jet. Mystro stands there guiding the Jet towards his location. The Jet lands close to him. He had arrived at Alkali Lake to inspect the place going invisible to ensure that he isn't spotted. He found the entrance and stood in front of it and using his inferred vision was able to see the inside of the base. He's even mapped out a way to get them out once they've rescued the Professor, Scott and their children. The Jet lands close to him. The ramp is lowered to allow him back onto it.

"Did you scope out the place?" Havok asked.

"Yes. I've even mapped out an escape route. Once we find the others." Mystro told them.

"Good." Frost said. She looks over at Storm and nods.

The group gathers around a floating 3D hologram that shows a photographic Terrain map of the landscape. Magneto and Mystique also observe, but keep to the back.

"This is a topographic map of the area…." Storm said. The holographic map suddenly changes into a crystal-red with varying degrees of pink and white marks that represent repetitive impact over time. "And here are the recent density changes. The lighter the mark, the heavier the activity." She continued.

There are a series of white lines that come out of the right spillway tunnel. The lines look like hundreds of tire tracks. Logan shakes his head with a sly smile.

"That's the entrance." Logan said.

"How did you know that?" Mystro asked. He had seen the tire tracks while there but wondered how Logan could've known that. Though had been there before, he didn't remember it.

"Call it a hunch." Logan told him.

Storm changes the map once again-it turns crystal blue with varying degrees of white and blue-water activity. The entrance tunnel and spillway are all deep blue.

"This shows the depth of the ice that covers the ground water activity." Storm told them.

"If we all go in here, he could flood the spillway." Havok said.

"Can you teleport inside?" Jean asked Nightcrawler. He shakes his head no.

"I have to be able to see where I'm going-otherwise I could wind up inside a wall." Nightcrawler told them.

Logan pauses a moment thinking to himself.

"I'll go." Logan told him. "I have a hunch he'll want me alive."

"What do you intend to do? Scratch it with your claws?" Magneto asked. Logan snarls at him.

"I'll take my chances." Logan told him.

"But I won't." Magneto said.

"So who do you have in mind?" Frost asked. Magneto smirked and turned to Mystique. Everyone followed his eyes to her. She smiled. The others smirked.

"She gets in, opens the door from within. We get in and handle business." Magneto told them.

"Alright." Storm said. "Let's do this." She said. Everyone but the teens gears up to save the day.


	19. Rescue Mission

X2

Chapter Nineteen: Rescue Mission

Logan walks alone down the spillway corridor. He comes upon the run-off tunnels, and peers into the one on the right. No sign of water. He cautiously proceeds inside. He yells at the corridor.

"STRYKER!" Logan yells his voice echoes. "IT'S ME. WOLVERINE!" He walks further into the tunnel-still, no signs of water. Above him there's a small video camera in the shadows watches Logan approaching.

From inside the base, Wilkins, a board guard, looks up to see Logan on one of the monitors. Yuriko looks over his shoulders.

"What do you want me to do?" Wilkins asks.

"Flood it." Yuriko told him.

Wilkins reaches for a button and is about to press it when Stryker sees him.

"Wait." Stryker said peering over their shoulders and smiles. "Is he alone?" He asks.

"Yes sir." Wilkins said.

"Send a team and bring him to me in the north corridor…carefully." Stryker instructed them.

Moments later, Logan walks cautiously through the tunnel. In front of him, a section of the wall opens and three soldiers emerge carrying rifles. Behind him, another wall opens and three more soldiers appear. Logan is surrounded.

"Don't move! Hands in the air!" One Soldier says. Oddly Logan obeys.

Logan is led down a corridor by Yuriko and the soldiers, arms and feet shackled, guns drown to his head. Stryker waits for them at the end. As he approaches Logan, staring at him closely in the eyes, the cocky grin on his face suddenly fades.

"Who do you think you're looking at?" Stryker asked. Yuriko looks puzzeled.

"Sir?" She asked questioningly.

"You do such a good impression on video, but in person…" Stryker says. He knows that this person in front of him isn't the Wolverine. Stryker lifts a gun to Logan's head, finger on the trigger...when Logan quickly transforms into Mystique. Her arms, now thinner, slips from the shackles as do her legs and feet. She wraps the shackles around Stryker's gun and rips it away knocking him into the wall.

Instantly, two guards fire, she ducks and the guards shoots each other….She handsprings forward….

Yuriko whips out a pistol but Mystique hits her arm as she fires. Boom! The bullet pierces a nearby pipe. Steam shoots out, filling the corridor.

Stryker stands and tries to see through the steam. Mystique is gone. Stryker storms off. A guard follows.

On the jet the others watch seeing the commotion knowing no doubt that it was Mystique doing her part in this mission. They are shocked at how good she really is.

"Damn." Havok comments. He still didn't like her for the fact that she tried to kill him and the others.

"She's good." Logan commented. He knew first hand just how good this particular mutant was.

"You have no idea." Magneto told him.

"What the…" Wilkins said. Stryker and the guard enter.

"Seal the room!" Stryker said. Wilkins quickly does as he's told, pressing buttons. Huge door slams shut on the monitors.

"What's happening?" Wilkins asks.

"We have a metamoph loose. She could anybody." Stryker told him.

"Anybody?" Wilkins asks. Wham! Stryker hits Wilkins across the back of his head. He slumps onto the floor. Stryker has shift to become Mystique. She takes his seat and fastens a small headset to her ear. She presses some buttons and pulls up a map of the base.

"I'm in." Mystique said using the headset.

Magneto, Logan, Jean, Storm, Nightcrawler, Frost, Havok and Mystro all stand high above the stillway corridor. Magneto smiles proudly. They climb down the ladder into the spillway.

The real Stryker stands outside the massive control room door with Yuriko. He pushes a button to open it. It doesn't budge. He tries again. No use. He slams the door with his hands.

"The door is twenty inches thick sir." One of the soldiers tells him. He's slowly losing his cool.

"Yes. But she's in there…She's in there and I'M OUT HERE!" Stryker shouts.

Lyman walks up to them.

"Sir, she's opened the main entrances. More mutants have entered the base.

"Can we flood the spillway?" Stryker asked.

"Everything's controlled from inside the room." Lyman told him.

"Get the machine here, drill a hole through this door, and kill whoever's inside. Sergeant Lyman, gather your men and meet me outside of cerebro. You let loose our new recruit. You carry on. When I come back I want this door open all the way." Stryker told them.

"_Welcome professor." The metal door to cerebo says opening up._

"_Don't leave me. Please." The little girl said. _

"_You can come inside." Professor Xavier said as he and the little girl enter cerebro._

"_Cerebro." The little girl said._

"_This is it." Professor Xavier said. The two stand in cerebro. Professor Xavier had no idea that he and Mutant 143 aka Jason had been wheeled into the dark cerebro by two. The little's girl smiles her blue and green eyes fill with anticipation. She walks to the front of the platform. As Xavier turns away from the little girl, the room rotates slowly disintegrates into something darker—something more sinister the little girl reveals herself as mutant 143. Professor Xavier looks back and the giant cerebro door slams shut. The little girl stands at the end of the platform and smiles._

Mystique flicks on a series of security monitors. One of the monitors displays Professor Xavier's children locked in their cages. Mystique's focus is side tracked by the image. A part of her feels bad for those kids. She hated to see them trapped in a room like that but she had a mission to help Erik complete. Boom! Something big hits the door. She turns a little startled but unafraid.

Outside of the door, the jaws-of-life like machine is attached to door a series of drilling devices on its arms go to work. Behind it two guards outfitted like the ones who attacked the mansion, hold automatic rifles aimed and ready.

Yuriko walks by a figure who lays face down on a medical table. She removes the pipette and drips the yellow liquid onto the back of his neck. It bubbles and sinks into his skin, creating the now familiar round scar. The figure on the table is none other than Cyclops. He awakens unaware of his surroundings. Yuriko takes his visor and places it on over his eyes.

Stryker walks across a platform, towards the door that connects to a huge sphere suspended in a massive cave. The exoskeleton of Dark cerebro is a complex lattice-work of circuitry and metal. At the moment, it's dormant, dark, and still. The door opens and Stryker steps inside. Professor Xavier sits paralyzed, on a platform wearing the cerebro helmet. Mutant 143 is stationed behind him in a wheelchair of his own. The escape and return to the mansion was all an illusion created by mutant 143. This was designed to get him to activate dark cerebro. Stryker walks down the platform, up to Mutant 143. He leans down towards mutant 143's ear to whisper something to him.

"_It's time to find our friends."_ The little girl says. It's really Stryker who is instructing mutant 143. _"All of them. We have to find all of the mutants. Everywhere."_ Professor Xavier nods, understanding and starts to push buttons. Casually, Stryker bends down and utters one last command.

"Now make me proud." Stryker said touching his shoulder warmly then turns and walks out. The doors closes behind him leaving the two mutants in the room.

Professor Xavier finishes what he needs, and looks up at the girl.

"_Just don't move." He tells her. He leans forward and picks up the cerebro helmet. The walls fall away with the cerebro effect. In seconds Professor Xavier is sitting inside a giant projection of the earth spinning slowly. Just like before, dotted across the entire landscape, across all the continents are the sparkling red lights representing of the world._

Outside of the sphere room, Stryker walks away from dark cerebro. Behind him, the giant sphere begins to slowly rotate. A low throbbing hum starts to echo, getting faster and louder. Dark cerebro is warming up….

Yuriko is inside of the huge filtration room. A wet maze of generators under the darn. She sets a small charge on the base of one of the power generators. The charge blinks. She places for more charges on the other generators. Each begin to count down from twenty minutes.

Mystique watches as the X-Men along with Magneto on the monitor coming down a hallway. She pushes buttons and the monitor switches to a map of the base. She looks around—there's nowhere to go. Crash! The entire door rips off –the machine is scattered on the ground, destroyed—revealing Magneto and the X-Men. Behind them are two guards. Their guns float in the air pointing to their heads. Magneto steps over the mangled remnants of the machine. He turns back to the guards.

"Scurry." Magneto said as the remaining soldiers ran off. They wanted no part in this. They dropped their weapons on the way by Magneto.

"Erik." Mystique called to him.

"What's that sound?" Logan asked.

"It's cerebro. The professor is close." Jean told them.

Magneto looks at Mystique.

"Have you found it?" He asked her. She nods, eyeing a power grid.

"A large portion of the energy from the dam has been diverted…" She said pointing at the grid. "to this chamber."

They are all staring at the grid…all, but Logan. He's too busy staring at another monitor which shows Stryker trying to make a quick exit through the corridor.

"Come. We have little time." Magneto told her. Jean stops them.

"Not without us." Jean told him.

Mystique's eyes travel to the image of the children on a monitor. Storm and Frost see this.

"It's the children. I'll get them. Kurt, will you come with me?" Storm asks. Kurt nods.

"I'll come with you." Frost said. "We'll need you Mystro." He nods. Jean looks around the room and realizes they're missing someone.

"Where's Logan?" Storm asked worried for her boyfriend.

"He's gone." Jean says eyeing the communicator device they use to stay in constant contact with each other.

"To find Stryker." Frost said. Storm nods.

"Ok. Storm, you Nightcrawler, Frost and Mystro go get the children and the professor. Jean, Magneto Mystique and I will find Scott. Once located get them to the jet." Havok said. They nodded. Magneto and Mystique eyed them before everyone went off in different directions.

Logan races down a hallway, hunting for Stryker. He's letting his super senses guide him. He's been there before but doesn't quite remember his way around. His senses are leading him towards his prey.

Above Professor Xavier and Mutant 143, the huge globe rotates slowly illuminated by the red lights. Professor Xavier's face is comatose and despondent. Mutant 143's eyes are dilated staring coldly focused on Professor Xavier.

_Professor Xavier looks puzzled. He looks at the little girl._

"_That's odd. I can't seem to focus in on anyone." Professor Xavier said. _

"_Maybe you have to increase the signal." The little girl said._

_Professor Xavier turns a dial, concentrating. Above him, the lights intensify and the heavy drone gets louder. _

A large door opens. Storm, Nightcrawler, Mystro and Frost step into the containment room. It's pretty averaged sized and looks as if it's just another corridor. They see two doors. Frost tries to focus on the door to the left. She's trying to listen to determine if she hears anyone on the other side of the door.

"Anything?" Storm asks.

"No no one is in there." Frost says turning to Storm. Both turn to Kurt and Mystro.

The door to the right holds the children in it. It's locked.

"Cerebro is nearby. I can sense the professor." Frost told them.

Rion sees the door to the right and puts his ear to the door. They watch him.

"Mystro, what is it?" Storm asks. She knows he's still hurt from what she said to him but hoped that he'd put that aside to deal with the mission.

"I can hear the children on the other side of the door." Mystro tells them. "Kids can you hear me?" He asked.

"Sensei is that you?" Artie asks.

"Yes." Mystro said.

"Please help us." A female says through the door. The pleading voices of the students can be heard.

"Get us out of here. Please." Artie said.

"Don't worry kids we're coming." Storm said. She looks over at Mystro. "Can you use your strength to get them out?" She asks him.

"I can try. It's a metal door." Mystro told her. "Kids, stand back ok?" He asked then hearing them say ok. He can hear them backing away from the door. Mystro concentrates summoning his super strength and rips the door open. Storm smiles. The kids rush towards the sensei hugging him. He hugs them back. They rush towards Storm and Frost hugging them. They stop once they spot Nightcrawler. "It's ok kids. He's with us."

"Hello." Kurt said as they gawked at him.

"Let's go find the Professor Xavier." Stirm said as the four adults and children left the containment area.

Jean, Havok, Mystique and Magneto walk down a long corridor, Mystique and Magneto are in the lead. Both Jean and Havok stare at each other nervously.

"It's just up ahead." Mystique said.

Jean suddenly shuts her eyes concentrating.

"Wait." Jean said. Havok turned to her. Magneto and Mystique looked at her puzzled. "I think it's…" Jean said. Behind them, a silhouetted figure stands there and raises his hand up from his side. They turn to find Cyclops as he raises his hand to his visor. "SCOTT!" She yells to him but he doesn't answer. His face is emotionless. The back of his neck has the familiar scar on it.

"SCOTT!" Havok yelled for his brother.

An optic blast is fired straight at them. Using her telepathy, Jean shoots Magneto and Mystique forward. Havok ducks but puts his hands up and fires back. Cyclops ducks behind a wall.

"We need to help him." Jean said as Havok nods his hands still up ready to fire at his brother to defend himself and Jean.

"My dear this is a fight we need not be part of." Magneto said as he and Mystique make their exit leaving Jean and Havok to fend for themselves.

"How do we do this?" Havok asked.

"Shh. I can hear his thoughts." Jean said. She's concentrating.

"_I'm sorry Jean. I can't stop myself. Please help me." Scott said through his thoughts. Thought his face is emotionless and expressionless, Scott is still in there and knows that she can hear him. "Tell my brother I'm sorry."_

"_Don't worry. We'll help you." Jean said to him using her telepathy. "I promise." _Jean smiles. "Havok, I can hear his thoughts. He's still in there but can't control himself. He says he's sorry." Jean told him.

"Tell him it's ok and that we're help him." Havok told her.

_"It's ok honey. We're gonna help you." She told telepathically._ "We can't hurt him, but we have to stop him from hurting us?"

"How?" Havok asked. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to hold back and would get hurt or worse hurt his own brother. What could the two sibling in laws do to save their loved one?_  
_


	20. Wolverine's Past

X2

Chapter Twenty-Wolverine's Past

Rogue, Bobby and John sit in the cockpit, listening to the battle over the radio. They hear an explosion….then static. All three are worried.

"That's it." John said angered. He reaches over and hits a button. Behind them the ramp descends. They looked at him shocked.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bobby asked.

"In there. I'm not gonna let anything happen to my mother and uncle." John told them.

"John, you're in charge. Storm doesn't want us to leave." Rogue told him.

"I can't just sit by and do nothing." John said to them.

"We want to help to but we cannot leave the jet. Storm gave you specific orders." Bobby told them.

"What if she doesn't come back? What if my uncle doesn't come back?" John said worried. Bobby puts his hand on John's shoulder.

"I know you're worried. So are we, but we have to trust that they know what they're doing and that they will be ok." Bobby said. John stares at him worried. "What would Storm do if something happened to you?" He asked.

"What would Sensei say?" Rogue asked. John knew they were right. He sighed sitting back down in the cockpit chair. He wasn't the praying kind but this was the time to ask god to protect his mother and uncle. He wanted them safe and sound. Not that he didn't care about the others, he just wanted this to be over.

Havok and Jean needed to come up with a plan to save Cyclops before he hurts them. Cyclops fires again, knocking them back.

"Run." Havok tells her to returning fire. Cyclops ducks again behind the wall. Havok keeps his hands up following Jean as the two took off running. They had to get to safety to hide. Cyclops follows in hot pursuit. He follows them into an adjoining room. Both hide.

"Scott, don't do this." Jean said to him her voice echoing through the adjoining room. He couldn't see her. Cyclops is looking around for her and Havok.

"Come on bro, I know you're in there." Havok said to him. His voice echoing just as Jean's did moments ago. Cyclops moves slowly through the room. Jean and Havok are hiding behind two big steel pipes on opposite sides. Both glance at each other. Jean telepathically tells Havok that she's going to bait him into firing at her. He fires a blast to his back. The suit will absorb the blast. Havok nods. He backs up and heads for the other side of the steel pipe. From his position he can see Cyclops past his direction. He moves around the last steel pipe down the towards the and peaks his head around. Cyclops's back is still to him. Jean and then steps out of hiding. Cyclops sees her and is about to fire another blast at her.

"Scott no, please! Don't do this." Jean puts her hands begging him not to do this but Cyclops can't help himself. He readies his visor but Havok surprises him and fires a shot to Cyclops' back sending him flying in the air. Jean tries to concentrate to catch Cyclops midair but is too late. Cyclops collides with her as they hit one of the pipes hard. The fall made Cyclops come out of his trans. He shakes the cobwebs from his head and stares down at his wife. Havik goes over to them.

"Jean." Cyclops said. Jean is unconscious.

"Scott is that you?" Havok asks. Cyclops turns to him.

"Alex." Cyclops asks. Havok sighs.

"Oh god, did I hurt you guys?" Cyclops asked panic in his voice never in a million years could he ever hurt his brother.

"No bro. I'm good." Havok said. "But Jean is not." He leans over to help Cyclops with Jean.

"Jean baby wake up please." Cyclops said. Her eyes open. She sees Cyclops holding her.

"No, no don't!" Jean screams thinking he might hurt her.

"Jean, no it's ok. It's me." Cyclops said.

"It's ok. He's back." Havok told her. She sighs.

"I'm so sorry." Cyclops said to her. "I saw you guys but I couldn't stop myself."

"It's ok bro." Havok said patting him on the back.

"I thought I'd lost you. Oh god." Jean said hugging her husband.

"I love you so much." Cyclops told her.

"I love you more." Jean said.

"I love you both." Havok said hugging them both smiling. Jean and Cyclops chuckled. Havok pulls away as they help Jean to her feet.

"Owe." Jean said. Her ankle is sprained.

"What's wrong?" Cyclops asks.

"My ankle, it's sprained." Jean told him grimacing.

"Don't worry I got you baby." Cyclops told her as he holds.

"Storm." Havok called to her using the communication device in his ear.

"Go ahead." Storm's voice coming through the communicator.

"We've got Scott." Havok said.

"Good, we got the children. Meet us in front of cerebro." Storm said.

"Copy that." Havok said as three are making their way out of the adjoining room.

"Wait. Something's wrong." Jean said as she can sense it.

"We need to go." Havok said as he led the way out.

_Professor Xavier is trying to concentrate on locating all the mutants. He's still trapped in the illusion with mutant 143._

"_Have you found the mutants yet?" Mutant 143 asked. Professor Xavier doesn't respond. "Have you found all of them?"_

"_I'm trying. There are so many of them." Professor Xavier said._

"_Then concentrate." Mutant 143 told him. Professor Xavier continues to concentrate trying to find all the mutants. Professor Xavier continues to remain comatose and despondent. Mutant 143 continues to focus on the illusion. _

Stryker meanwhile walks down a hallway. A dozen soldiers past him retreating trying to haul ass out of the dam. He didn't blame them. He himself was trying to get the hell out of there as well. He enters the Augmentation room where Yuriko is waiting on him.

"Did you set the chargers?" He asked her.

"Of Course." She said to him.

They stop and turn seeing Logan standing there staring at the charts, diagrams and torturous medical instruments. Horrified. Finally, he gazes into a long tank filled with silver liquid. The same kind of tank that fills his memories. Logan turns and faces them, infuriated. Stryker backs away.

"There's a tricky thing about adamantium." Stryker said to him. "If you ever manage to process its raw, liquid form, you gotta keep it way hot." He said as Logan circles them. Yuriko stands protectively in front of Stryker. "Because once the metal cools it's indestructible." He said gaging Logan's reaction. Logan frowns hard at him. "But you already know that. I used to thinking you were one of a kind, Wolverine. I was wrong." Stryker told him. Yuriko stands in front of Logan.

SNIT! Logan's claws came out. Yuriko is standing in his way and he'd take her out to get to Stryker. Yuriko surprises Logan. Bones crunch as the fingers on both her hands extend. Logan gawks, as Yuriko shows her true mutant form. She gracefully holds up long, spindly fingers that taper into razor sharp adamantium claws.

"Holy shit!" Logan said. He realizes he wasn't the only one who has metal in his system. Yuriko had the same procedure done to her as well. Slash! She reaches towards him and flicks one long finger . Logan flinches, realizing she cut a small gash in his cheek. She smiles. Logan sneers and swipes at her head. She ducks and comes back up and kicks him. He stumbles back.

She leaps and screeches, swiping with both hands. He blocks her claws with his own. They fight adamantium against adamantium. Sparks fly, but hardly in the romantic way.

Meanwhile Stryker calmly walks down the long escape tunnel. He pushes the door open to his freedom. Smiling, he thinks he'd made his quick getaway.

Logan and Yuriko are still going at it. She slashes at him missing and hits a cluster of power cables in the ceiling. They twist and writhe, small electrical sparks fall to the ground.

Logan tackles her and they crash through a glass wall. X-Rays, diagrams, and equipment shatter. They're a close match but Yuriko is much faster. Logan is being torn to shreds by her lightning fast hands.

She spins kicks knocking Logan into the Weapon X tank. It smashes open. Fluid spills across the floor. He's he's sprawled on top of the broken tank dazed, nearly unconscious. He can't beat her hand to hand and knows it.

Logan looks over and sees the severed power cable writhing nearby and thinks fast…but Yuriko raises her claws ready to deliver the final death strike when Logan rolls off the tank, grabs the power cable and tosses them to the ground. Zap! A surge of electricity courses along the floor through the tank and fluid. It hits Yuriko. She screams, falls backward into the tank, convulsing and shrieking like an animal. Her claws twitch and then stops. Unlike Logan, Yuriko didn't have regenerative abilities. Logan watches as the tank that once gave birth to him becomes the sarcophagus for Stryker's latest creation.

The world map rotates, a thousand mutant-indicator red lights spinning inside it. Mutant 143's breathing becomes heavy, erractic. He trembles, sweating, eyes dilating back and forth. The low throbbing hum gets faster and faster. Suddenly of light flooding the map. Every mutant on the planet is affected. John, Bobby and Rogue are thriving in pain on the jet as the signal has hit them hard. Mystique is also clutching her head. The only one unaffected by this signal is Magneto. He and Mystique are closer to the room with dark cerebro than the X-Men were. He turns sees the door and decides to go inside.

Storm and the others are coming down a corridor that leads to dark cerebro. She turns to Frost who smile. Nightcrawler and Mystro smirk. The group makes their way down the corridor towards the room. Suddenly the low hum of dark cerebro echoes through the room. Mystro stops holding his head. Storm sees this. He groans holding his head.

"Mystro what's wrong?" Storm asks holding him.

"He's close." He said barely choking out the words. Coming around a corner is Havok, Jean with Cyclops holding her.

"Guys, you ok?" Frost asked.

"Yeah. We're fine." Cyclops said. No sooner than he said that. Frost and Jean groan in pain. Storm is holding Mystro who groans holding his head. She doesn't know what to do. Havok holds Frost while Cyclops has a hold of Jean. "What's going on?" He asks.

"Whatever is happening to them is coming from nearby." Storm said.

"Cerebro." Cyclops said.

"Miss Storm." Nightcrawler said. He turns to her. He is getting dizzy. The throbbing is getting louder. He stares at her shocked. She looks dazed clutching her head with one hand while the other is still holding Mystro. Cyclops and Havok experience the same thing. Soon enough everyone is the floor clutching their heads. The signal mutant 143 is sending is amplified big time.

"Erik Hurry." Mystique tells him through her withering pain.

"That's strange." Magneto said. How does it look from there, Charles? Still fighting the good fight?" He asked knowing full well he couldn't hear him. "From here, it doesn't look like they're playing by your rules. Maybe it's time to play by theirs." He said. Magneto levitates and begins to rotate the metal plates around with great perfection. After all he did help Professor Xavier create cerebro. When he was done, all the signal trying to kill all the mutants had suddenly stopped. Mystique gets to her feet. Magneto smirked.

On the jet, Bobby, John and Rogue got to their feet.

"You two ok?" John asked.

"Yeah." Rogue answered.

"You ok?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah. What was that?" John asked.

"Oh no." Rogue said as she remembered Professor Xavier teaching her to control her abilities.

"What?" John asked.

"Cerebro. The professor must've been using it to hurt us?" Rogue told him.

"Why would he do that?" John asked.

"He wouldn't. Someone forced him to do it." Bobby told him. All three sat wondering why this was happening and why it suddenly stopped.

Magneto levitates back down to the platform then goes over to mutant 143. He's decided to use the situation to his advantage. He plans to use Professor Xavier to kill all the humans.

"There's been a change of plans." He whispers to mutant 143. "Goodbye Charles." He said with a sly smirk exiting dark cerebro with Mystique in tow. He then slams the door shut.

Stryker moves through the snow trying to get to the dual helicopters. The spillway can be seen to the side of the dam in the far distances. Stryker tries to get into the helicopter when he's grabbed by Logan. Logan shoves him hard to the snowy ground. Stryker groans in pain. Logan grabs him roughly yanking him up. Logan extends his claws and jams it into Stryker's side. Stryker cries out in pain.

"You son of a bitch. You cut me open and took my life." Logan growls out.

"You make it sound as though I stole something from you. As I recall, it was you who volunteered for the program." Stryker revealed. This seemed to get Logan's attention.

"WHO AM I?!" Logan screams.

"You're a failed experiment. You should be thanking me. If you really knew about your past, what kind of person you were…you'd be destroyed." Stryker told him. Hell maybe it was better he didn't know what kind of man he was. Logan looked on devastated. Ororo could never love him if she knew what kind of man he was. It was best he didn't know. He could have a clean slate, start over. Logan sighed. His claws retract from Stryker's side. He groans as this happens. Logan chains Stryker to the helicopter's leg then backs up. He has to go help his new family. It was best that he stay with Ororo. He needed her like she needed him. They need each other.

Storm and the others had recovered from the attack to their heads from dark cerebro. Everyone gets to their feet.

"Everyone okay?" Storm asked.

"Yes." Everyone murmurs.

"Good. Let's get the professor." She said leading the way. The others followed suit.


	21. Escape Plan

X2

Chapter Twenty-One: Escape Plan

Storm and the others arrive at the door hold dark cerebro. Having recovered from what dark cerebro has done, the group decided it was high time to rescue the professor and get the fuck out of there. Frost, Jean and Mystro can sense the professor behind the door because his signal is strong. They hear the throbbing hum again. This time they are unaffected by it.

"You hear that?" Cyclops asked.

"Yeah." Havok said. "That's the same sound that caused us pain moments ago."

"It's different though." Mystro said thinking hard. Then it hit him. As if reading his thoughts, Jean and Frost look over at him. "Oh no."

"What is it?" Storm asked.

"Cerebro it's not targeting mutants anymore." Mystro told them.

"Then who?" Cyclops asked.

"Everyone else." Jean answers.

"We gotta get in there." Storm said.

Dark cerebro has now been reprogramed to target all the humans in the world. Billions of white lights flood the globe, each light representing all the non-mutants of the world. In other words… the rest of humanity.

Stryker tries to get free of the chains that Logan use to keep him tied to the helicopter. The ground shakes rocked by an explosion. This let him that the spillway was filling up with water. He smirked realizing the mutants would be trapped their anyway.

Storm and the others hear the explosion and realize they don't have much time. They need to get the professor out now. Mystro had an idea. He turns to her.

"Storm, you and Nightcrawler have to go in and get him out." Mystro said. "I can get the children out of here by flying."

"There's only one of you and six of them. How are you going to manage that?" Frost asked.

"I can levitate more than one person." Mystro told them.

"That's new." Cyclops told him.

"Trust me." Mystro told.

"No. We get the professor and leave together ok?" Storm asked him. Mystro nods. "Kurt, you have to teleport me in there?"

"I told you I need to see where I'm going or I'll end up in a wall." Kurt told her.

"I have faith in you." Storm told him. This seemed to do the trick. He nods.

"Don't believe anything you see in there." Jean told them. Storm nods.

He pulls Storm into him. He begins to pray before…BAMF! They disappeared.

BAMF! They reappear on the platform inside of dark cerebro on the side of the door. Nightcrawler stares in awe at the room and the billions of white lights rotating above. Dark cerebro's hum is getting faster and faster….the white lights brightening.

"As it is in heaven." Nightcrawler said completing his prayer.

The hum echoes. Stryker, tugging at the chains and now feeling the effects of Dark Cerebro, his mouth falls open to scream but nothing comes out. Magneto and Mystique emerge and see him in pain.

"Mr. Stryker. How good to see you again." Magneto said. Stryker lifts his head to see Magneto grinning at him. Mystique is next to him smirking. "It seems that we keep running into each other. Magneto holds his hand out in front of him moving the chain from around Stryker's waist to his neck, tightening. "Mark my words, it will never happen again." He said then turning and walking away. They get on the helicopter and take off.

"Professor!" Storm called out to him. Her voice is faint. "Professor!" She called to him once again. In front of her stands the same little girl.

"Who are you talking to?" The little girl asks.

"Professor, you have to stop cerebro now." Storm yelled hoping the professor would hear her.

The little girl was starting to get a little agitated.

"Professor!" Storm said calling him. He doesn't answer. "Professor, none of this is real. It's an illusion. You have to see beyond it." The little girl smiles seemingly amused by this.

"There's no one else here." The little girl said.

"She's just a little girl." Nightcrawler said.

"No she's not." Storm told him. "Back up. It's about to get cold in here." She said. Her eyes go white. Storm begins to summon the cold air. The temperature in the room drops tremendously low. It's getting colder and colder by the second. Nightcrawler is having trouble keeping his hands warm. The little girl screams and disappears. The illusion seems to be broken. Mutant 143 is frozen to his chair his mouth twitching. Professor Xavier's helmet is frozen. He begins to blink a few times coming back to reality.

"JASON!" He said realizing he was in an illusion this whole time.

Dark cerebro begins to fall apart. Girders and pieces of structure falling from above. BOOM! The room is rocked by another hit. The lights fade. The hum stops.

Professor Xavier removes the helmet. A piece of the structure is about to hit him. BAMF! Nightcrawler disappears from behind Storm and teleports to Professor Xavier's location then BAMF! They teleport outside of the dark cerebro room.

"I got him." Mystro said taking hold of the professor.

BAMF!...Nightcrawler disappears again back into the room. He takes a hold of Storm and…..BAMF! They disappear back outside of dark cerebro. Everyone sighs.

"We can celebrate later. Right now let get out of here." Mystro said as he led the way. Storm is behind him, with Nighcrawler tailing her, the children are behind them. Jean and Cyclops are following along with Havok and Frost.

The dam has massive cracks spreading through it like spider webs. Concrete begins to fall away—water gushes from the holes. The entire dam is about to collapse.

They go back the way they came in and see Logan there. Using his claws he stabs the panel keeping the doors closed. They turned to him.

"You don't wanna go that way. Come on I know another way out." Logan said as they followed him racing towards the back entrance. Logan pushes the door open. He holds it open for the others as they make their way towards the jet. He sees Striker dead. He frowns hard.

"Here they come." Bobby said. "John, lower the ramp." He said as John does exactly that. Mystro carries Professor Xavier to one of the chairs on the jet.

"Thanks Mystro." Professor Xavier said to him.

"Anytime professor." Mystro said to him. Rogue and Bobby helped the kids onto the jet getting them strapped into the chairs.

Storm, Logan, Nightcrawler, Frost, Havok, Jean and Cyclops get onto the jet.

"Ma!" John said pulling Storm into a hug.

"Hey baby." She said hugging him back.

"I love you." John said to her.

"I love you to." She said kissing the side of his forehead. "It's ok." She said as the pull away.

"Is it time to go home?" John asked.

"Yes it's time to go home." Storm said smiling.

"Let's get the jet in the air." Cyclops said. Jean is seated behind him Storm goes to co-pilot seat. Logan sits behind her with Frost and Havok behind them. The kids are in the back the seatbelts fastened. "Damn it." The controls are frozen.

"What's wrong?" Jean asked him.

"The controls are frozen." Cyclops said frantically trying to work the controls. Storm is doing the same thing.

"Nothing is working." Storm said. Logan goes to help.

Mystro sees the commotion and can hear the dam busting as the water gushes trying to break through. He knows he's got but one option. He puts the communicator device over his ears then goes down the ramp. Professor Xavier watched him knowing what he was going to do.

"What's going on?" John asks. He looks around and notices that Mystro is missing. "Where's uncle Rye?" He asked. Everyone turns towards him. Storm looks around frantically and Mystro was nowhere to be found.

"He's outside of the jet." Havok said.

"_Rion, what are you doing?" Frost asked telepathically._

"_What I have to do." Mystro informed her._

"_Rion, you don't have to do this." Jean told him telepathically._

"_Yes I do." Mystro told her. _

"What's going on?" Storm asked.

"Mystro is outside of the ship." Jean tells her.

"What is he trying to do?" Storm asks. Jean shakes her head. She knows what he's going to do and it's not good. "Jean. What is he going to do?" Storm asks. Jean doesn't know how to tell her that her brother is virtually committing suicide.

"He's going try saving us all." Professor Xavier said staring at Storm. She knew immediately what he's planning.

"Rion, don't do this. You don't have to do this." Storm tells him.

"I have to. I'm the only one who can save us all." Mystro told her.

"Rion please don't do this. I'm sorry for hurting you all these years. I don't wanna lose you. Please don't do this." Storm said to him. John is next to her in an instant. He asks to use Jean's communicator.

"Uncle Rye, please don't do this." John begged him.

"I have to John. It's the only way." Mystro told him.

"Please don't. Don't leave us. Don't leave me." He begged him. Mystro lowered his head but knew he had to save everyone. John feels hot tears pour down his face. Storm holds him.

"No one dies today." Mystro said. "Now, quiet. I have to concentrate." He said to them. He turns as the water continues moving rapidly towards the jet. Mystro concentrates hard summoning the only ability he's afraid of using. He summoned atomkinesis. Mystro's face contorts as his hands are pulled back at his sides as if he's about to perform a martial arts move.

Atmokinesis is the psychic ability to manipulate the flux of the atmosphere with the mind at will, resulting in a change of weather patterns and formation of freak weather conditions. This ability allows generation of any natural weather condition, from fog and rain to thunderstorms, lightning, hailstorms, blizzards and hurricanes and the calming or heightening of such conditions. At the higher bands, the user can even cause climate shifts although sometimes one can only cause weather native to the area they are in.

Like Storm who also possesses the same ability but on a much large scale. Both siblings are driven by their emotions. For Storm if she becomes too emotional, the weather can change in an instant. She can cause weather damage on a more grander scale than that of her brother. The emotion which triggers such catastrophic damage for Storm would be anger. Winds, Tornadoes or Tidal waves, she can cause it all when her anger is triggered. This is the reason she chooses not to get too angry. No one would be safe from her wrath.

Mystro on the other hand is a just as powerful as his older sister is. The emotional trigger for Mystro to summon atomkinesis is depression. This would explain the dreary weather that has been overcast in Westchester. Mystro has also does what he can to keep his depression in check. Though his ability works in the same way Storm's works, he is less likely to do as much damage as she might when angered. Mystro at one point was so depressed that he caused a rain storm in the entire area without realizing he had done it. Professor Xavier knew this thus the reason he was teaching Mystro to control and even summon it. Having gone through the emotion turmoil Mystro has gone through in the last few weeks, his emotions were bound to get the better of him. This was that time. The other difference that sets the two siblings apart is the color of their eyes when summoning Atomkinesis. Storm's eyes go white while Mystro's turn a dark shade of grey. The only time his eyes are white is when he summons his electrical abilities.

He closes his eyes and thrusts his hands out in front of him concentrating. The others watch fascinated by this. Mystro's eyes go a dark shade of grey. Suddenly the dam explodes and water comes rushing at him. Mystro throws his arms up in a praying mantis motion. The water suddenly stops before him as if frozen in place. Now he doesn't quite possess the same abilities as Bobby does but then again Bobby doesn't have a psychic connection to the atmosphere quite like Mystro and Storm does. He levitates off the ground towards the jet and touches it. The jet suddenly comes to life. The thrusters, the fuel engines, everything was back online. "Cyclops, get the jet high above my head." He tells him. Cyclops obeys him. He takes control of the jet and lifts it up about 5000 feet off of the ground. Mystro levitates back down towards the water ready to release it into the river. His arms go back up in the praying mantis position again.

"Mystro, you don't have to do this." Cyclops tells him. Mystro doesn't respond.

Mystro holds his hands up again. All the memories of his life came flooding back to him like a flip book. Being raised in japan for the first ten years of his life, then arriving at the institute, meeting his sister, feeling isolated, becoming friends with Alex, martial arts training, graduating school, earning his black belt, becoming a UFC fighter, the constant arguments with Ororo, being in love with Jean, being excluded from their wedding, to being told by Ororo that she wished it was he who had died. It was all too much for him. He dropped his hands and in an instant, the water all rushed at him knocking deep into the river.

"RION!" Storm yelled for him. The tears poured down her face. Logan reaches over to touch her shoulders. With her crying, the sky becomes cloudy and threatens to rain. No one paid attention to that though. The entire jet is filled with its grieving passengers.

"NO!" John screams as he cries out. Storm pulls him into a hug. John dropped to his knees. He leans on her chest holding her as he sobs.

Everyone reacted to what Mystro had done. The kids in the back of the jet all cried. He was their sensei and loved being taught martial arts. Bobby held Rogue as she sobbed softly. Just as she was getting to comfortable with her martial arts training, her sensei has to die. It wasn't fair. Bobby liked and respected Sensei Rion. He'd miss him.

Frost held Havok as he sobbed. His sensei and best friend is dead. Havok would miss him the most. He knew Rion was going through more than just his issues with Ororo. There's was more to him then met the eye but he didn't talk about it. Havok treated Mystro like a brother. He sobs as Frost held his hand. Frost frowned hard. She loved Rion like family and treated him as such. She felt bad that he was hurting hoped he'd get past it. It wasn't met to be.

Cyclops felt bad for the loss of a friend and teammate. He took the jet and flew away from the Alkali Lake. He hated the fact that Mystro sacrificed himself to save them. He didn't want that for him. He shook his head.

Logan felt a great deal of grief. Not just because he'd lost a friend but how his death had affected John and Ororo. He knew deep down that she loved her brother and that John loved his uncle. John had revealed that he wanted Rion around more often to train him. That will never happen. How were they to go on?

Jean let tears fall down her face. Rion was a great guy. Lovable, handsome, smart, sometimes a goof and loved martial arts. His greatest passion was training his students. She knew how he felt about her and even though she didn't love him in that way, she loved him like a brother. She'd miss their telepathy games. She wipes a tear away from her face.

John would miss his uncle. The man who was teaching him martial arts to compliment his abilities was gone now. He hadn't met to be a dick to him. He just wanted his uncle around more. He probably should've told him so but now he will know how John felt. How was he supposed to go on?

Storm felt the sad. She lost the only living blood relative to her family. She also felt something else…guilt. Not only had she treated Mystro poorly from day one, she never told him why she treated him this way. Now she was forced to grieve not only for the loss of her parents but for her brother as well. She hadn't met to treat him that way but his presence brought back the memory of her dead parents. Now he was dead. How was she going to go on without him?

Professor Xavier would miss the lovable smart kid Mystro was to the very talented man he became. Mystro wasn't just a son and a student, he was a teacher, and a fighter. He looked at Ororo and John who continus to sobs. A fighter. It dawn on the Professor that Mystro wasn't a quitter. He closed his eyes and tried to make a connection to Mystro's brain. He got a vague signal which met that Mystro wasn't dead but unconscious. He turned to Jean who looks up and over at the Professor who smirks. Frost catches on to the professor's thoughts.

"_Rion isn't dead. He's unconscious. We need to awaken him." Professor Xavier said to them._

"_How?" Jean asks._

"_We have to call to him." Professor Xavier said. _

"_It's worth a try." Frost said. "Rion…Rion can you hear me?" Frost calls out to him._

"_Rion." Professor Xavier adds calling him. "I know you're not dead. You are simply on unconscious."_

"_Wake up Rion. Please." Jean adds. No response. "He's not responding." _

"_Try again." Frost said. "RION!" She yells. _

"_RION! WAKE UP!" Jean yells to him. _

_Deep in the river, Mystro's body sinks further and further. He can hear the faint voices in his head calling to him. He tries to move but can't. _

"_RION! You are not dead. Please wake up." Jean said. "We need you, your students need you. Alex needs you, John needs you. I need you. Ororo needs you. You can't leave things with her unsettled. Come back to us." Jean pleads. He doesn't answer. Tears pour down her face. "RION!" She screams. _

_This does the trick. Rion's eyes flicker open while deep in the water. He struggles a bit but focuses all of his energy into his flight. His body suddenly jerks upright and he's floating back to the surface of the river bank. Jean, Frost and the Professor smile as they've awakened the Mystro._

"Storm." Frost called to her. Storm looks over at her teary eyed. John looks up from Storm's chest. "Look out the window."

"What?" Storm asked.

"Just look out the window." Frost told her. Storm turns to the window of the jet. "Wait for it." She said smiling.

Mystro's body floats to the top of the river bank and he shoots out of the water in mid-flight. Mystro passes the jet window. Storm and John look at the window shocked.

"Was that?" John asked. Mystro flies beside the window the jet. "Uncle Rye!" He said smiling.

"Oh my god. Rion!" Storm said. "He's alive." She shouts happily. Everyone on the jet cheers happily. Logan, Alex and Scott had shocked expressions. They couldn't understand how he could've survived that. "I don't understand it." She said relieved hugging John kissing his forehead.

"I'll explain it later. It's time to go home." Professor Xavier said. John got up and headed to his seat to buckle up. Storm turned to the controls of the jet's cockpit to help navigate.

Logan stood up from his seat and leans over to Storm. She turns to him smiling. Logan wiped a tear from her cheeks. The two kiss.

"You ok?" Logan asked her whispering softly to her.

"I am now." She said smiling. He kissed her again, then sat back in his seat smiling. He knew things would be ok.

"_Rye, you ok out there?" Jean asked him telepathically._

"_Yeah, I'm good." Mystro said. _

"_We're glad you're back." Jean told him. _

"_See you back home." Mystro said smiling. Jean smiled as well. _

"_No we have a stop to make first. Mystro, meet us near Washington DC." Professor Xavier said. In formed Scott and Storm on their brief stop before heading home. _

"_Copy that." Mystro said speeding up pass the X-Jet._

Things would be ok because the X-Men saved the day.


	22. Siblings Talk

X2

Chapter Twenty-Two: Sibling Talk

The president is sitting behind his desk about to give a speech. He sees that his teleprompter has gone static. The lights go out. The president hears thunderstorms outside and turns to his window. He then turns noticing that everyone in the room was frozen in place. He strains his eyes to see that the people who have entered his office unnoticed. He stares dumbfounded at the group. The group before him are the X-Men. President McKenna is shocked. It was bad enough that just a few days ago, he was almost killed, now his office has been invaded yet again. Only this time, he's not going to be harmed. President McKenna stands to his feet on his guard.

"Who are you people?" President McKenna asked.

"My name is Charles Xavier." Professor Xavier told him. "Please have seat."

"I'd rather stand." President McKenna said.

"As you wish." Professor Xavier said to him. Logan glares at the president who looks around nervously. Everyone is in an X-Men uniform. To the professor's left were Mystro, Storm, Logan and Pyro. To his right were Cyclops, Havok, and Frost. Behind the professor were Jean, Iceman, Rogue and Nightcrawler. Pyro and Iceman's uniforms were the same with the exception of the color Xs on their chests. Pyro's was red while Iceman's was blue. Pyro's X-Men outfit also a built in lighters on both wrists of his sleeves. Storm is controlling the thunder that the president saw. Her eyes are white as snow. "We're mutants, but we're not here to harm you. Just to talk." Rogue hands the files to the president. "These are files from the private offices of William Stryker." He said. President McKenna hesitantly reaches out and the files, thumbing through them.

"How did you get these?" President McKenna asks.

"Let's just say I know a little girl who can walk through walls." President Xavier said referring to Kitty Pryde. He arranged for her to obtain William Stryker's personal files. Mystique used her skills once again to print out the files need to show the president. She had left the files in a convenient place for Kitty to obtain them. She then handed the files to John who kissed her excited to see her before he got back on the jet.

"I've never seen these files." President McKenna said to him.

"I know." Professor Xavier said to him.

"Then you know I don't respond well to threats." President McKenna said.

"This isn't a threat Mr. President, this is an offer." Professor Xavier said. While President McKenna continues to look at the files, Professor Xavier approaches his desk. "I realize you may have information about me, about my school, about my people. I'm willing to trust you Mr. President, if you're willing to return the favor." Professor Xavier asked.

"What are you proposing?" President McKenna asked. Logan looks at the frozen senators impressed.

"There are forces in…the world, mutant and mankind alike, who believe that a war is coming. You'll see from those files that some have already tried to start one." Professor Xavier tells him. Logan watches as the pitcher of water that Abrahms was pouring comes to a trickle. He waves a hand in front of the Senator's face. "If we expect to preserve peace, we have to work together…do you understand?" He asked the president. President McKenna stares at him strongly.

"Yes. I think I do." President McKenna responds.

"I'm glad. We are here to stay Mr. President. The next move is yours." Professor Xavier said smiling. The lights go back out and moments later everything returns to normal. The thunder he saw outside was now gone replaced by the sun and the X-Men are now gone. President McKenna looks startled as everything returns to life.

The monitors snap out of static and display live video of the president who's not speaking. No one in the room has any idea what just happened. Abrahms has just poured water all over his pants. He cleans it up a little embarrassed.

President McKenna looks at the vice president, who glances back to him. President McKenna looks at the teleprompter, and to the monitor again. He takes a deep breath and glances at the files on his desk. He looks at the old files and then the ones he's about to consult and carefully places Professor Xavier's files on top of them.

A few days had gone by since the events at Alkali Lake. The mansion had returned to normal activities. The front door was fixed along with the windows and cerebro was also fixed. Professor Xavier wanted to give the children some time to their selves to just un-wine after what took place. Peter, Kitty and Jubilee brought the kids back to the mansion at the request of the professor. Things certainly did return to normal.

Emma and Alex got Kurt settled in at the mansion. He was grateful to have a place to call home. Professor Xavier asked him if he'd teach German to the students as a second language. He said yes. He even contacted Forge to create a device that would change his appearance for the time being. Kurt was happy about this.

Bobby and Rogue spent some time together. Though Rogue is still learning to control her abilities they could still cuddle. She made sure to use gloves to hold his hand. They'd sneak in small kisses to keep from her hurting him. Still though, it was a bit challenging.

Peter and Jubilee spent time trying to help the younger kids cope with what's happened. A lot of them were still very frightened after the mansion was invaded. Some had nightmares. They spent the better part of their time comforting them. Both did sneak in some moments to be alone as well.

John and Kitty found time to spend together. He wanted to go to his uncle and talk to him but knew he needed his alone time. He suspected that Rion still thought they hated him and he wanted to tell him that this wasn't true. Logan told him to give Rion some time. Rion and Ororo need to work out their issues first. Kitty felt bad for him. She knew he loved his uncle and acted like a real ass to him but John just wanted his uncle around more often. When John thought he lost his uncle, it devastated him. Now that Rion had survived, he wanted to apologize to him and make things right. She spent time comforting him. The two haven't left each other's side since.

Jean had asked Rion to come to the infirmary to be examined. She had already examined all of the children who had been kidnapped. All seemed fine but still shaken up. At first he didn't want to but Ororo asked that he be examined. Rion heads into the infirmary room. Jean examines him. Neither speaking to each other aloud fearing anyone would hear them. The only other two in the mansion who could hear their conversation were Professor Xavier and Emma. Both are speaking telepathically.

"_Are you ok?" She asked him._

"_Yes."Rion told her._

"_That's not what I mean?" Jean told him._

"_I know what you mean." Rion told her. "I'm fine." Jean stares at him. _

"_Why did you do what you did?" Jean asked him. Rion looked down. "Rye, look at me." She asked him softly. _

"_I thought it was the only way." Rion told her then looks away. Jean takes his chin her hands. _

"_There's always another way. Rion, I know how you feel about me. I know that you love me and I love you to just not in that way." She said as Rion nods. "You didn't have to sacrifice yourself to save us. All of his here and that includes Roh, love you very much." She said to him. He gave her a quick smile. "Don't ever do that again, I'll kick your ass myself." She said to him. This seemed to lighten the mood in the room because Mystro laughed. Jean laughed as well. She gave him a quick kiss on the forehead, then continues to examine him. This allowed them to talk a little bit more and Rion got a clean bill of health. "You should talk to her."_

"_I will. I just need some time to myself." Rion told her. She nods. "Jean listen, I know there could never be anything between us. I've loved you since 10__th__ grade." Rion said as they chuckled. "I would never do anything to jeopardize your marriage to Scott. I guess I just like because we have so much in common that you and I were more compatible but it's not met to be." Rion said to her. He took her hands in his and brought them up to his lips. He then kisses his hands. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable." He told her. She smiles at him._

"_Not at all." Jean told him._

After her initial examination of Rion, Jean and Scott needed to be alone. Both had spent the last few days with each other. She missed him and worried something bad might've happened to him. He had no memory of what happened before their little battle at Alkali Lake but that he was sorry for hurting her. The two are walking hand in hand in the gardens outside.

"So how is Mystro doing?" Scott asked her.

"He's got a clean bill of health." Jean said smiling. "Not even a spec of water in his lungs."

"The guy is amazing." Scott said.

"That he is." Jean said. "I just hope he and Roh can work things out. Those two really need each other."

"Yes they do." Scott told her.

"I'm glad everything worked out the way it did." Jean told him.

"Me to." Scott said to her.

"I missed you while you were gone." She said to him. Both stopped walking. Scott pulled her into his arms. "I thought I'd lost you. I don't know what I would've done without you."

"Awe baby, come here." Scott said pulling her close. "I know you were worried. I promise nothing will happen to me or you." He said as they kissed passionately. Jean smiles loving him more and more. "We are going to have a family of our own while growing old together, while living a mansion…oh wait, we already do." He said as she chuckles. They kissed again.

"You really want children?" Jean asked him.

"Of course. Our children are going to look so good." Scott said as she smiled. "Our son is going look like me." He said smiling. Jean smiles.

"You mean handsome?" Jean asked in her most alluring voice.

"Oh yeah." Scott said as he leans his forehead on hers. "Our daughter will be beautiful…like her mother." He said.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Jean asked smirking.

"Yeah baby." Scott flirted as the two kissed.

"I'm glad that you want be a dad because I have something to tell you." Jean told him.

"What's up honey?" He asked.

"I'm pregnant." Jean revealed. Scott is shocked but happy.

"Really?" He asked. She nods smiling. "OH YEAH!" He said excitedly as he lifts Jean into his arms. She squeals happily. Both kiss passionately. Logan smiled. He knew Jean was pregnant and is happy for them.

Since getting back the mansion, Ororo spent some time alone thinking about her relationship with her brother. She had treated him so badly from day one. All he wanted was a relationship with her to feel closer to their parents. She didn't understand this until a few days ago when she came close to losing the only blood relative alive. This made her think about her parents. They wouldn't have wanted her to push him away. They wouldn't have wanted her to hurt him. They would've wanted her to love and protect him. The fact that she spent so much time hating him, she never got around to having a relationship with him. She was kicking herself for it. She also didn't grieve like she needed to when her parents died and it was about time that she had. She needed to tell Rion how she felt. This would be the first step to building a relationship with her brother. She felt guilty for the way she treated him and for what she said to him. Ororo wanted to talk to her brother but he went to the dojo and locked himself in. She knew he needed time to himself to think things through. She's standing on the balcony of her room thinking.

Logan spent time trying to comfort his girlfriend. He knew she hadn't met to hurt her brother nor did she mean to push him away. She simply needed to tell her brother what was going on with her. He saw that her door is open and crept inside. She looks so beautiful to him. He could stare at her all day. She looked happy and sad all at the same time. He wanted to make her happy and was glad she's in his life. He loves her more than life it's self and will always be by her side. Logan has found a family and vowed to protect them just as they would him. Ororo was so far off in her own thoughts that she hadn't realized Logan had come into her room. He crept up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled.

"Hey beautiful." He said to her.

"Hey handsome." Ororo said to him. She leans into him. The two haven't really had the opportunity to spend time together. He leans his head over and kisses her neck.

"You alright?" Logan asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just thinking." Ororo told him.

"About Rion?" He asked. She nods.

"I feel so bad. I was such a bitch to him. He didn't deserve that." Ororo told him.

"Did you talk to him yet?" Logan asked her.

"No. He's still locked in the dojo." Ororo said.

"You should go talk to him." Logan told her.

"You think so?" She asked him. Logan nods.

"You two need each other. You need closure." Logan told her. She nods. Logan reluctantly lets him go. "It's ok. I'll be here waiting on you." She leaves her bedroom. Logan makes himself comfortable on her bed.

Ororo heads down to the dojo. As she gets closer to the door, she starts to get a little nervous. Rion hadn't said anything to anyone since being examined by Jean. Everyone including her figured he needed his space but she wanted to see him. She had never been this nervous. Usually, she was an ice cold bitch to him but now, she was nervous because she was about to have a conversation with her brother that should've taken place fifteen years earlier. Better late than never she figured. She stops in front of the door of the dojo. She takes a deep breathe and then knocks. The door opens. Rion is sitting on the mat looking at some stuff in a box.

"Hey." She said softly.

"What?" Rion asked his back is to her.

"Can we talk?" Ororo asked him. He turned to her. His face is serious. "I owe it to you an apology." She said going to sit next to him on the mat. Rion watched her. "I need to explain my behavior towards you."

"You don't owe me anything." Rion told her.

"I do. I need you to know and understand where I'm coming from. First off I wanna say I'm sorry for what I said, the way I behaved and treated you. You didn't deserve any of it." Ororo said to him. He watched her utterly shocked. "The night mom and dad died, apart of me died. Then I found out that you were alive and in Japan. I don't know how the hell that happened. When the professor brought you to the mansion, my first thought was that oh my brother's alive then the nightmares started."

"You dreamt of the night mom and dad died?" Rion asked her. She nods. "My presence brought back the memory." He said looking away.

"Yes and it made me resent you and push you away. I never met to hurt you Rion and I never resented you. That was a nightmare for me. I was told by my aunt and uncle that I couldn't grieve because it was against our religion so I never got to grieve for them." She told him. He seemed to understand.

"Why now?" Rion asked her.

"What?" She asked him.

"Why apologize now?" Rion asked knowing the answer to his own question

"I almost lost you and it made me realize that I've been very unfair to you. I've spent so much wasted time resenting you when I should've embraced you. You are my blood brother. I should've taken care of you." She begins sobbing. "Instead I treat you poorly." She says letting the tears fall down her face. Rion could tell she was being remorseful about her behavior. "Rion, you are smart, funny handsome, an excellent martial artist and an all around wonderful guy. I love you and am proud to have you as my brother. I'm so sorry." Ororo said sobbing.

"Come here sis." Rion said as he pulled Ororo into a hug. She cries on his shoulders finally letting go of the hurt she felt after losing her parents. Rion let her cry because he knew she needed it. He smiles happy that he finally has his sister. "It's ok sis. I forgive you." He said hugging her.

She cried for awhile longer before pulling away. Both had agreed to talk more and have better communication. Also they'd talked about their parents. Ororo told him some stories about their father and that their mother loved to sing. A lot of what was in the box given to Rion was mementoes of their parents. She made sure to fill him in a lot of things. The two talked and laughed for three hours. Rion smiled.

"Thanks for telling everything Roh. I feel closer to mom and dad." Rion told her.

"I'm glad." She said smiling. She remembered his big fight. "Oh you have a big fight coming up?"

"Yeah next Saturday." Rion said.

"Does Ray know what happened?" Ororo asked.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea to tell him anything." Rion said.

"Well you should tell him something. I mean after all you missed two training sessions. I don't think Ray will be too happy about that." She said as Rion stares at her shocked. How in the hell did she know that? She caught his reaction. "You'd didn't think I was paying attention?" She asked smiling. Rion chuckled as the two head upstairs.

"Maybe you're right. I should tell him something. Besides, Ray has the hots for you." Rion said as Ororo stopped before the evayor shocked.

"What did you tell him?" Ororo asked amused. She realized through their arguments that he's mentioned her a time or two.

"He wants you so bad but I told him you were taken." Rion said. Ororo laughed.

The two got off the elevator and headed towards the kitchen. Emma and Jean are in the kitchen cooking. Alex is trying to help them. Ororo and Rion see this. Jean sees them and smiles. She's happy they made up. Helping to make dinner are Kitty, Rogue and Jubilee. Also in the kitchen are John, Peter and Bobby playing cards at one of the tables.

"What's going on?" Ororo asked.

"We're cooking dinner." Emma said. She turns to see the two siblings. Something is different about them. "Wait something is different about you two." She said.

"Yeah it is. They're speaking now." Jean said to them.

"So does this means you two ok?" Alex asked.

"Better than ok. We're closer." Ororo said. Rion said putting his hand around his sister's shoulder.

YEAH!" Everyone in the kitchen cheered.

"No more arguing, no more fighting. I love it." Bobby said as they chuckled. Ororo and Rion smiled. Logan enters the kitchen.

"Did I hear right? Is my girl and her brother closer now? No more fighting." Logan asked.

"Yes we made up, yes we're closer and no more fighting." Ororo said.

"That is so great." Logan said then a thought occurred to him. "How long til dinner is ready?" He asked. Jean and Emma laughed. They knew what he wanted to do with Ororo.

"About an hour and a half." Rogue said.

"In that case, Roh and I need some alone time." Logan said taking Ororo's hand.

"Ok didn't need to know that." Rion said as Ororo chuckles.

"See you guys in an hour or so." Ororo said as she is pulled away by Logan. He'd wanted to be alone with his girl for the longest and he wasn't going to waste another minute.

"Uncle Rye." John called to him. Rion turns to him. John hugs him tight. "I'm sorry I was such a dick to you." Rion hugged him back.

"It's ok. Why didn't you just tell me what was bothering you?" John said pulling away.

"I didn't know how to. I miss you when you go away. I just want you were around more that's all." John said his head is low. Rion realizes his nephew didn't hate him. He was just missing him.

"I know you miss me when I'm gone. I love competing in the UFC. I also love teaching you guys. It's my passion. I'll tell you what, I won't go in tour for awhile but I will still compete that way when I'm done competing I'll be coming straight home. This will allow me to be home more and teach." Rion told him. John smiles but realizes that as much as he wants his uncle home more, he also liked the fact that his uncle competed in the UFC.

"No uncle, you're right. Competing is what you do. Besides, I like going to some of your fights." John said smiling. Rion smiled back. "Hey, now that you and mom are on speaking terms, can you get to let me come to your fights?"

"If my fights are close to home yes." Rion said as John smiled excitedly. "I have a call to make. I'll talk to you in a few." He said heading to the living room.

"Ok." John said heading back to the table. "Guess what I'm going to uncle Rion's fight." He told Bobby and Peter. They high fived him.

"Cool." Bobby said.

In Ororo's room, Logan and Ororo are lying in bed having had sex. Both are breathing heavy. Ever since getting to her room, both had kissed deeply while tearing each other's clothes off. Logan made use to shut the door behind him. They were out of their close in no time going at it. Both needed and wanted each other. They made love in multiple positions finally surcumming to their passion. Both screamed out as they climaxed hard and a lot.

"That was amazing." Ororo said.

"Yes it was." Logan said breathing heavily. "Oh my god we've got to do that again."

"Later on after dinner." Ororo said to him. As she turned to lay on his chest."

"I'm so glad you and Rion made up." Logan told her.

"Me to. Almost losing him made realize we need each other." Ororo said. She sighs. "Thank you for being there and being patient with me."

"Anytime darling. I love you so much." Logan told her.

"I love you to honey." Ororo said leaning in to kiss her man.

There's a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Logan yelled hating to be disturbed.

"Uh, if you can tear yourself off my sister, Jean wants me to tell you that dinner is ready in ten minutes." Rion said. Ororo laughed.

"I can't we're stuck." Logan said causing Ororo laugh harder.

"Ewweelll" Rion said as he turns and walks away heading back to the kitchen.

"I think it's time to get dinner." Ororo said.

"I think you're right." Logan said as the two got up from the bed. They both took a quick shower together, getting dressed and heading back downstairs for dinner.

Everyone was in the kitchen eating dinner. Jean, Emma and the girls did a great job cooking. Alex helped as much as he was allowed to. Sitting at the head of the table is Professor Xavier to his right are Ororo, Logan, John, Kitty, Bobby, Rogue, Peter and Jubilee. Kurt is sitting at the other end of the table. By now everyone had gotten use to him. To his left are Rion, Jean, Scott, Emma and Alex.

"I have an announcement to make." Scott said as the entire table went silent. All the other tables quieted down. "Mrs. Summers and myself will be welcoming a new addition to ort family. She's pregnant." Scott said as everyone cheered happily.

"Congrats man." Logan said shaking Scott's hand.

"Thank you." Scott said as Jean kisses him happily.

"I'm so happy for you two." Ororo said smiling.

"Yeah, this is truly a happy day." Alex said smiling. "I hope the baby looks like Jean." He said as the table erupted in laughter.

"Haha." Scott said smirking.

"I'd also like to say that I'm happy for Rion and Ororo. The two of you have come a long way. Now you two finally have each other. Protect each other and keep one another safe." Professor Xavier said. Everyone cheered as Both Rion and Ororo smiled. She touched his hand. He's leans over and kissed her cheek. "I want to say one more thing. To Jean, Ororo and Emma, you three are amazing. You stayed true to the mission despite everything." They smiled. "To Kurt, welcome to the Institutte."

"Thank you." Kurt said as everyone cheered again.

"To Logan, Alex and Rion, you three showed great leadership in the face of danger. I'm very proud you guys for making sure the kids were safe." He said as Logan, Alex and Rion smiled. "Bobby, Rogue and John, I give you three so much credit. You must've been terrified when Stryker invaded our home but according to Logan and Alex, you three were troopers and hung in there. I'm proud of you for that." He said as they smiled. "Last but not least, to Peter, Kitty, and Jubilee, I am very proud of you three for making sure the kids got to the safe location. You three showed true leadership skills. I am proud of you all for doing what you could to save us. Cheers."

"Cheers!" Everyone said.

"We are a family and no one can take that from us." Professor Xavier said as everyone nods.

"Hey Rion did you tell Ray what happened?" Ororo asked him.

"Yeah, well I told him that the school was attacked that I had to help handle it. He seemed to buy that." Rion told her taking a sip of his drink.

"That's not entirely a lie." Jean said as he nods.

"So what happens now?" Logan asked.

"I get in the ring next Saturday and kick the crap out of my opponent." Rion said as they all laughed. Everyone continued eating and chatting.

Everything seemed to be back to normal. Jean and Scott cuddled on their bed in their bedroom watching a movie. Emma and Alex decided to join them.

Bobby, Rogue, John, Kitty, Peter and Jubilee all decide to stay up a little tater watching TV in the living room.

Ororo and Logan headed back up to her room. The two wanted to spend as much time with each other as humanly possible. They cuddled but ended up having sex again. Logan took his time with her tasting touching, licking every part of Ororo driving her crazy. She moaned enjoying him. She was in blissful heaven.

Rion got in a little training in before going to bed. Everything was right in the world for him. He laid back on his bed thinking about everything that has happened. He smiled. He was glad to have his sister at his side. Yeah he was finally happy. All that was left was to find a nice woman to settle down with. He's still only twenty five and fairly famous. Finding a woman shouldn't be too hard. His eyes closed shut as the slumber took over.


	23. MMA Fight Night

X2

Chapter twenty-Three: MMA Fight Night

It's fight night at the Future Stars arena in Toronto Canada. The UFC has a brilliant fight card with brilliant fighters one of them being Rion "Mystro" Monroe. His opponent Mark "The Tank" Rogers has been talking a lot smack about what he planned to do to Rion in the cage. Rion paid no attention to it because he already knew how this fight was going to end. He's in his dressing room getting ready. He's got his fighting trunks on. The trunks are black with red and silver lining on both sides. He's sponsored by Torque. He's got his hand wraps on along with his glove and he's got on his torque t-shirt. Nick is holding up the punching pads as Rion hits them a few times. He's scheduled to fight in thirty minutes and has some time to kill. Ray watched him carefully. He was still angered at Rion for missing two training sessions. He was more angered at Rion for not calling him. He was worried for him. Rion knew this thus the reason he called Ray back. Ray didn't believe him at first about the school being attacked but it was Ororo who convinced Ray that Rion was telling the truth. Ray had finally gotten the chance to meet her. She was with her boyfriend Logan who Ray figured could hold his own in a fight. Ray watches as Nick takes Rion down and Rion successfully defends his position. Both get back to their feet. There's a knock on the door. Ray opens it and smiles. He had personally invited Ororo and a few guess to watch the fight. They step into the dressing room.

"Rion, you have visitors." Ray said.

"Who?" He said. As Ororo, Logan, Alex, Emma, Jean, Scott, John, Kitty, Rogue and Bobby came into the room. Rion's face lit up.

"There he is the man of the hour." Ororo said smiling.

"Hey sis." Rion said hugging her. "Hey guys." He said smiling. "You didn't have to come all this way to see me fight."

"Are you kidding? I was not passing up the chance to see this fight up close." Alex said.

"That makes two of us." Logan adds smiling.

"Make that three." John said.

"Bobby, Rogue and I make six." Kitty said as they laughed.

"Yeah sensei we wouldn't miss this for the world." Bobby said.

"Sensei?" Nick asked confused.

"Yep, Rion and Alex teach at the school." Jean said.

"Awesome." Nick said.

"The Professor sends his regards." Scott said.

"Yeah, he's allowed the kids to stay up and watch the fight." Emma told him.

"Cool." Rion said.

"You ready champ?" Scott asked.

"Oh yeah." Rion said. A thought occurred to Rion. He hadn't introduced the others to Ray and Nick. "Where are my manners? Ray Nick You already met my sister Ororo and her boyfriend Logan. These are our friends and family. That's Alex Summers, Emma Frost, Scott Summers, Jean Grey Summers, my nephew and student John Monroe. Kitty Pryde, Marie Edwards, and Bobby Drake, also my students." He said as they nod.

"It's nice to meet the people that keep this bloak grounded." Nick said as they laughed.

"Hey uh John is it?" Ray said addressing John who nods. "How would you like to walk down to the cage with your uncle?"

"Really? Can I ma?" John asked excitedly.

"Sure." Ororo said smiling.

"Awesome. I'm in." John said excitedly.

"Why don't we go back to our seats? It's almost time." Jean said.

"Good luck in the fight Rye." Emma said giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Em." Rion said smiling.

"Yeah man kick ass." Alex told him.

"I will." Rion said high fiving Logan, Alex, Scott, and Bobby as they walked out of the dressing room. Emma, Jean, Rogue and Kitty followed.

"Hey, good luck out there little brother." Ororo told him. She kissed him on the cheek. Rion smiles. "Show him what the Mystro can do."

"You got it." Rion said she heads out of the dressing room. John stayed behind.

"Hey Johnny you might want to put this on." Nick said holding a Torque shirt with Rion's name on it.

"Cool!" John said excitedly. He quickly changed his shirt and put on the Torque shirt. "Now I'm ready." He said as Rion put his arm around his shoulders.

Out in the stands, Ororo and the others found their seats in the front row by the octagon. They are seated in this order: Ororo, Logan, Rogue, Bobby, Kitty, Emma, Alex, Jean & Scott. The fight was about to start. Music began to play and the first person out from the dressing room was Mark "The Tank" Rogers. The music playing for him is some rap song. He gets to the cage gate. He takes off his sweat shirt, then his sweat pants and sneakers. He's wearing the tradition trunks in the color white and blue. His trainer puts Vaseline on his face and then out his mouth guard in his mouth. Another gentlemen checks him for weapons or anything that can be used to cheat. The Tank entered the cage.

The music played again and the next fighter out was Rion "Mystro" Monroe. Ororo and the others cheered for him. The fans in the arena cheered for Rion as he is a popular fighter. John comes out in front of him. Rion's behind him with his hands on his shoulders. Rion's music was of Busta Rhyme's Dangerous. When he got down to the cage, Rion took his cap off and handed it to John. He took of his hoodie and slippers and handed it to John. Ray put Vaseline on his face. Nick put his mouth guard in his mouth. The same gentlemen who checked Mark did the same the same for Rion. Rion then enters the cage and circles around in the cage. John smiles getting the opportunity to watch his uncle fight up close and personal. The announcer comes into the cage to announce the fighters.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this light heavy weight bout is scheduled for three five minute rounds. Fighting out of the blue corner, standing at 5'10 inches tall, weighing in at 175 pounds, his record stands at ten wins and three loses, hailing from Kansas City Missouri, Mark "The Tank Rogers!" The announcer as some fans clapped and others booed. "His opponent fighting out of the red corner, he stands at an even 6'0 feet tall weighing at 176 pounds, his record stands at twenty wins and no loses, hailing from Westchester New York, the Mystro himself, Orion Monroe!" The announcer yells as the crowd cheered for him. Rion raises his hands up in the air saluting the crowd. The referee for this fight is Steve Mazzagatti.

"Alright gentlemen." Steve said as both fighters come face to face. The Tank is watching Mystro as he moves from side to side. "You were told the rules in the locker rooms. Let's have a clean fight. Good luck gentlemen." He said as both Mystro and The Tank touched gloves and went back to their corners.

Ororo and the others watched. Professor Xavier and the kids were no doubt watching the fight from the mansion. John watched proudly from Rion's corner.

"You ready?" Steve asked Mark. He nods. "You ready?" He asked. Rion nods. "Let's get it on." He said as the two fighters came into the middle of the cage and touched gloves.

Both fighters threw their hands up ready to fight. Rion made the first move by kicking Mark's left leg hard, so hard that Mark nearly stumbles. Rion kept his hands up and threw several short jabs to Mark's face. Several jabs landed causing Mark's eye to swell. The fans reacted to this cheering. Rion then followed it up by kicking his leg again. Rion did this for about three minutes into the first round methodically attacking the left leg and then throwing his shirt jabs. The reason for the leg kicks is to keep his opponent from planting his lead leg therefore making his punches ineffective. Hell his opponent won't be able to mount much a defense. Mark couldn't mount any kind if defense against Rion on account of his left leg hurting. There is a welt already forming on the inside of the leg knee. The fans were cheering for Rion. Mark hobbling decides to take Rion to the ground. Rion snuffs the take down and lands a vicious right hook that stuns Mark who quickly recovers hobbling. With ten seconds left in the first round, Rion lands a vicious kick to Mark's left leg causing Mark to stumble to the ground. Before Rion could do anything the bell sounded. Mark would see another round but how much did he have left in him? The fans continued cheering. That round definitely went to Rion. Mark's leg had a serious big bruise on it and he could barely move in the cage. He was breathing heavily. Meanwhile on the other side of the cage, Rion seemed to be ready for round two. John poured water into Rion's mouth. He swallowed ready to go.

"You got him uncle Rye. He won't last too long." John said as Rion nods. John, Nick and Ray exit the ring just as Mark's trainers did.

The bell sounds again. Rion stands up ready to go. Mark on the other hand is having trouble standing. Both fighters touched gloves again. Rion this time focuses on the right leg, striking the leg several times. Mark could hardly stand on his feet swung at Rion out of desperation. Rion ducks and moves into immediately lifts Mark off his feet the slams Mark to the canvas. The fans go nuts cheering. Mark does his best to defend himself but Rion mounts him quickly and begins raining punches down on Mark's face. Mark gives up his back and Rion immediately takes his back. He slings his left forearm around Mark's throat and uses his right arm to sink in the rear naked choke hold. The fans are going nuts. John cheers knowing that Rion was going to win. Ororo, Logan and the others cheered, especially Alex. The kids back at the mansion cheered Rion on. Professor Xavier watched cheering to himself as he smiled.

Rion sunk in the choke hold and it isn't long before Mark taps ending the match. Steve Mazzagatti stops the fight three minutes into the second round. Rion stood up and bowed to the crowd. His signature move after winning another match. John, Nick and Ray come into the cage. John jumps in Rion's arms hugging him. Ororo, Logan, Alex, Emma, Jean, Scott, Kitty, Rogue and Bobby all came into the cage. They hugged Rion for his win.

The medical doctor checked on Mark who's leg was bruised up. His faces is pretty bruised and he looked tired. Rion went over to him asked if he was ok. Mark nods and is helped up by Rion. Both hugged showing great sportsmanship. The ring announcer comes into the cage again.

"Ladies and gentlemen the winner by a rear naked choke, Orion "Mystro" Monroe. The fans cheered as Steve Mazzagatti held up Rion's hands. Bill Goldberg comes into the ring with a microphone

"Mystro, congrats on your twenty first victory. Tell me what was the game plan going into this fight?" Bill asked.

"Well, I just wanted to keep him from taking me down. I focused on the legs and some quick jabs. In round two though I focused on the right leg. I was going to stick with the same game plan but I knew his legs were wobbly so I took him down. Then I worked submission from there." Rion said.

"You have your family with you?" Bill asked. Rion nods. Introduce us?"

"This here is my nephew Johnny, my sister Ororo, her boyfriend Logan, my friends Alex, his girlfriend Emma, Scott and his wife Jean, my students Bobby, Marie and Kitty." Rion said as they all waved in front of the camera.

"Think it's time to challenge the Light heavy champ for the title?" Bill asked.

"Maybe one more fight. Then I'll challenge him." Rion said.

"Orion "Mystro" Monroe ladies and gentlemen." Bill said leaving the ring. The fans continued to clap. Rion shook Dana White's hand and introduced him to his family. Rion posed for pictures before going back to the lockers. He showered and changed back into his clothes. The bus that brought Rion and his crew to the Futures Stars Arena had taken them all back to Westchester. Rion and Ororo spent the entire ride back talking. Things finally are looking up for the Xmen siblings and the X-Men team its self.

The end for now!


End file.
